Dark Evenings
by Rainfox88
Summary: Prequel to Cat and Mouse. Albert Wesker and William Birkin manipulate the shadows for their own plans within Umbrella and STARS. However, a certain distraction may be hindering Wesker's motives…And Wesker cannot stand distractions...Pre Re1.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Resident Evil!........But boy I wish I did!!!! Lol!!!

* * *

**

Prologue

Albert Wesker strolled through the labyrinth of hallways in the great underground below Raccoon City. The massive laboratory was hidden even under the sewers, and though there were many exits to the surface, the main exit was by an elevator that went up into the Umbrella Pharmacy.

William Birkin walked at his side, his lab coat swishing in the motion as he read some papers. They seemed to pass under countless fluorescent lights as they moved through the hallways.

"These are all wrong! Are there morons running the Training Facility or what? I can't believe Marcus hasn't done anything yet."

Wesker hardly glanced over at his partner. "Don't worry about it, Will. It's not our problem."

"Yeah, I know, but it's so annoying! I hope Spencer doesn't expect us to fix all of this," William heaved.

They reached the main elevator. William pushed the button, and they waited for it. William started flipping through the papers again, sighing and grumbling at the results it had printed on them. Wesker looked over at him. He snatched the papers from the young, brilliant scientist, and ripped them in half.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

"Trust me, William. The print isn't going to change. Now stop worrying about it."

"Yeah, you're right."

"I'm always right."

William gave a playful glare over at Wesker. The elevator doors swung open with a ding. The two men entered the elevator, and William hit the button for the surface. While Wesker busied himself with getting his keys ready, and cleaning his sunglasses with his shirt, William yawned and looked at his wristwatch.

"Geez, it's already almost six. I thought it was your day off today. I can't remember, what's today?"

"It's Tuesday, Will."

"Really? I need coffee."

"No, you need sleep. And yes, it's your turn to take Sherry to school today."

"Aw, crap! I forgot! I told Marcus I would be at the Spencer estate by seven. I wonder if I can con Annette into doing it."

Wesker snorted a laugh. "You tried that once before. It didn't work, remember?"

William sighed. "Fine, I'll do it. I will just deal with Marcus's speech later. If Annette wasn't busy with the pharmacy today, maybe she could go in for me."

"Oh, but she does such a good job at the confidential research in the basement of the pharmacy."

The elevator slid into place in the basement level of the Umbrella Pharmacy. Wesker and William exited, and found some researchers already at work in the early hours of the morning. They took a couple of steps before noticing Annette.

She was already heading in their direction across the room, cup of coffee in hand. The men knew better, and stopped, letting her come to them. She looked at her watch just before she reached them.

"It's almost six in the morning! I told you to be home by four! You know when I'm stationed here I have to come in at 5:30!"

"Good morning, honey!"

She heaved a sigh, though they caught her trying not to smile. "Albert, I take it you didn't tell him to go home?"

"Guilty as charged, Ann. I was caught up in my own things. We both should have left hours ago," Wesker stated, looking at his own watch. He was going to be late for the precinct.

"What do you mean, you were caught up in your own things? You slept for most of the night! Too many precinct hours, I think!" William growled. He then saw Annette's steaming coffee. "Is that coffee for me?" he asked, swallowing hard while looking at the cup in her hands. The steam just seemed to roll out of its top.

Annette gave her husband a look. "You haven't forgot, have you?"

"What? No, I'm heading home right now! I will relieve your sister of babysitting duty! Trust me! I will get Sherry to school! C'mon, honey! You know I wouldn't forget that it was my turn!"

William gave a cheesy smile. Annette's lips twitched just slightly, so they could tell she was at least amused. She took a nice drink of her hot coffee. Her eyes never left William.

"Thanks for reminding him, Albert," she said, and turned and walked away.

William's face fell, and he glared at Wesker. Wesker was unfazed by his friend's look. He nodded at Annette's back. "Sure thing, Ann." He then glanced over at William. "Now, let's go. I still have to go home before going in."

"Fine," William grumbled.

They headed for the top floor of the pharmacy, and exited. The pharmacy wasn't open yet, but all the workers were there to help everything keep in line, especially with illegal work being done downstairs.

"Oh, by the way. I hear our friend, John Howe, is being promoted to head researcher. He's joining the big boys, like Emerson and Davis! Gets his own lab and everything!" William blurted as they came to his silver Lexus. William drove Wesker only for the fact that it helped keep Wesker's profile clean of suspicion while working with the R.P.D. And he only drove when they went to the pharmacy to go to the underground laboratory. Otherwise, Wesker always drove himself.

"Fascinating," Wesker replied dully, slipping into the passenger seat.

William laughed as he started the car. "Aw, are you jealous?"

Wesker slowly turned his head to look at William. William didn't need to see Wesker's eyes behind the sunglasses to know that he was getting a very icy glare. It wasn't jealousy. The two of them were already way far ahead than the researchers below the Spencer estate. William just loved yanking Wesker's chain. He put the Lexus into gear and headed for Wesker's house.

"Well, I guess getting promoted is one good way to impress Ada."

Wesker remained silent. William took the shortest route to Wesker's house, which was a luxurious abode sitting so soundly in the high-class suburbs of Raccoon City.

"Oh yeah, and Marcus said something about a celebration party being held at the guesthouse behind the estate. I think it was for next week or something."

"Wonderful," Wesker said in the same bland tone.

William glanced over at him for a moment. He eased a mischievous smile. "Ada might be there."

"Even more wonderful," Wesker yawned, tone still dull.

"You never cease to amuse me," William snickered.

"Ditto, Will…ditto." Wesker nodded, a tiny smirk finally forming on his lips.

William's cell phone started ringing. William reached into his jacket pocket and pulled it out. He flipped it open with a snap, one hand still on the wheel.

"Birkin." There was a moment of silence. "Oh, hey honey! Missing me already, huh?"

Wesker popped his neck, and kept his eyes on the road just in case William got too distracted with his wife.

"Alright, alright! I promise! Sheesh!" Another moment of silence came as Annette was speaking on the other end. Wesker wondered what they were talking about now, but then snorted. William would tell the whole story, he was sure of it. "Don't worry! You can call Marcus and make sure, but I promise I will behave!"

Wesker glanced over at William. William was just slightly smiling, and he listened to Annette some more as he made a left turn.

"Alrighty then. Love ya dear!"

He flipped the phone shut and pocketed it. Wesker was very much relieved that was over. He didn't want to get sick before breakfast. William was already chuckling though, so he knew he was going to get another earful.

"I love that woman."

"What did she want this time?" Wesker asked.

"She called to make sure I went home after seeing Marcus this morning. She wants me to sleep all day before going to the estate tonight."

"That's good. I'm glad she wears the pants in the household," Wesker stated promptly with a nod. Before William could snap a retort from his words, Wesker was already speaking again. "Have you thought about what we talked about?"

William's face fell. He went back to focusing on the road. For a moment, the two men only listened to the Lexus's low thrumming engine as William drove.

"I…I don't know, Wesker. It's not right."

"Right?" Wesker snorted. "The only way you are going to get to the top, Will, is if you take out the obstacles in your way. Marcus is one of those obstacles."

"Was this your idea? Or Spencer's?"

"Spencer can see that Marcus's glory is coming to an end. You and I, on the other hand, can see that he is only an impediment to our progress and our research."

William heaved a long sigh. "Yeah, you're right. But do we have to kill him? Can't Spencer just retire him or something?"

Wesker twitched a smirk. "Since when did Spencer let anyone retire? You know how things are run there, Will."

"Fine…just give me some time."

"You have to get rid of all those feelings."

"I know…it's just hard. I mean, the old man has raised us like his own, ya know? We probably wouldn't be where we are now, if it wasn't for him."

"It's called business, William. I guarantee the feeling would be mutual if Marcus was in our shoes. He would kill to get to the top…and he has before."

"Okay, okay. I get it," William grumbled.

Wesker glanced over at his partner with a tiny, almost evil smirk. "Good. I'm glad we could agree, Will."

"Geez, you're terrible," William heaved, only for him to break a handsome smile.

* * *

**Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!! ^_^ Finally, it is posted, lol! Okay, here is the prequel to Cat and Mouse. I'm warning you now, it's a little strange at first. You don't have to read Cat and Mouse first, though I do suggest it so at least you know the characters a little better. It should be just fine though, if you want to read it first. Anyways, I hope all of you enjoy this prequel I have worked so hard on!**


	2. Chapter 1: STARS

**Chapter 1: S.T.A.R.S**

Jill took a swig of her cold coffee as she hurried from her car to the Raccoon Police Department building. She had given herself a victorious cry too soon, thinking that she was going to make it on time for once, only for her luck to go against her.

Her next door neighbors, two little girls of seven and nine, were crying because their kitten got stuck in a tree. Jill just couldn't refuse. She had to climb the large oak, almost falling a time or too. When she actually got the cat, the fur-ball took a chunk out of her hand it was so scared. At least the girls were happy.

Jill knew, however, that Captain Wesker was not going to be happy. And she didn't even want to think about Chief Irons. Wesker had no cares about helpless kittens in trees, and neither did Irons.

She made haste to the second floor, following her usual route to the S.T.A.R.S office. She passed a few officers, each greeting good morning. Jill only nodded in reply.

As she came upon the door to their office, she heard Joseph's laughter and was relieved. Maybe Wesker was running late!

She flew inside the office, quickly looking over to the captain's desk. She was saved! No Wesker! She found Chris, Barry, Joseph, and Brad at their desks. Joseph and Brad were joking about something, but that didn't leave Barry and Chris out.

Jill went to her desk, dropping her files on its surface. She put her coffee mug down, and sat, letting out a relieved sigh. She almost jumped when Chris rolled over to her in his chair. Their desks were back to back. Chris had a habit of doing this every morning, and he always found ways to poke her or pull her hair when he was pretending to yawn and stretch in one of Wesker's speeches or just while they were doing paperwork.

"Morning!"

"Morning, Chris," Jill said with a smile. She could always count on Chris to put her in a better mood when she came in. He even saved her ass a few times from Wesker, and she was grateful for that.

"You have a twig in your hair," he said with a small chuckle. He pulled it out for her. Jill grinned at the sight. She thought she got all of them.

"Thanks, I got stuck saving a cat this morning."

"Is that why you're late, Jill?" Barry asked on the other side of Chris's desk. He was busy cleaning his gun when he was supposed to be doing paperwork.

"Yep, sure is!"

"Aw! Jill the kitty saver!" Joseph cackled.

Jill playfully threw a pen at Joseph, in which she hit him square in the forehead before he could dodge it. Brad burst out in laughter beside Joseph. Joseph gave her a look, telling her he was going to get her back. Jill smiled and turned her attention back to Chris.

She noticed that none of the Bravo Team members were here. Of course, they usually got night shift. Wesker left Enrico in charge then. But it wasn't uncommon to see one or two, or maybe even a few pulling a double. Jill had to pull her own quite a few times; they all did.

The main thing was that their captain was nowhere to be found. By looking at the lividness of Joseph and Brad, and by how Barry was even blowing off to clean his precious Colt, showed that none of them had seen Wesker.

"Where's Wesker at?" she asked.

"I don't know," Chris replied with a shrug. He looked to the captain's desk with a mildly confused look.

"Who cares?" Joseph cracked, trying to make a wicked rubber band launcher. He kept them under his red bandanna for safe keeping.

"Alright, children. Let's not have too much fun," Barry put in, finishing his Colt up with a charming smile. He stroked his red beard once, and that was enough to show him that his gun was done and clean.

"Hey, I'm taking advantage. Enrico's shift is more laidback than ours. They always get to have fun!" Joseph added.

"That's not always a good thing, Joe," Brad stated, typing on his computer. He had had enough fun, and was now getting to work. Joseph slightly rolled his eyes at Chickenheart Vickers.

Bravo Team may have been more relaxed in their hours with Enrico in charge, but Jill was still glad to be in Alpha. This team was closer, she knew. They worked together, and were all serious when the time was right. They got more done, and they watched each other's back. Hell, even Wesker had his good days.

The door to the S.T.A.R.S office suddenly started to open. Joseph immediately shut his mouth and started to work. Barry heaved a sigh, and picked up his pen. Chris put Jill's twig down on her desk, and rolled up to his own. Jill smiled, and got to work. It was then they heard Irons' harsh voice right outside.

Albert Wesker walked in with such a clenched jaw that Jill feared he would break it. Irons barged right on in behind him, yelling up a storm that Jill didn't even understand. The whole of Alpha could tell that their captain was holding back every inch from punching the scumbag in the face. Jill knew it had to be something bad. Wesker never lost his cool, and never showed his agitation.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, Chief," Wesker seethed, pointing to the door. "I have a job to do."

The room became deathly silent. Irons glared at Wesker with his piggy face. He swallowed nasty words, and left the office. Wesker shut the door behind him. Brad sunk deeper into his chair, afraid of Wesker's mood. No one else said anything. Joseph was even silent as the captain went to his desk.

Wesker sat in his chair, propping his boots up on his paperwork covered desk. Jill couldn't look at the captain without turning her back on her desk, so stayed focused on her work. Chris would look up from his desk only in brief moments of bravery.

Jill heard Wesker's walky-talky beep, and they all heard Enrico's voice on the other end. Jill found it odd that Enrico was here. Was he pulling a double then? Or maybe Wesker was.

"Sir, Edward and Kenneth showed up to pull a double," Enrico said.

Wesker held up his walky-talky to his mouth. His eyes were staring at one of Chris's marksman trophies. "Ten-four. Send them up. I know something they can do."

"Yes, sir," replied the walky-talky.

Jill's pen ran out of ink, go figure. She rolled her chair backwards up to Chris's desk. She saw Wesker smooth back his hair, and he put his sunglasses on. Jill didn't understand why the man wore the shades inside. She saw no point, but didn't question him either.

"Can I use one of your bazillion pens? Mine's out of ink."

Chris gave her a smile, and held up three. There was a black pen, a blue pen, and a red pen. Jill gave him a look, and his boyish grin widened.

"I also have green, purple, and orange."

She snatched the black pen with a smile, and rolled back to her desk. By that time, Kenneth J. Sullivan and Edward Dewey came into the S.T.A.R.S office and greeted Wesker. The middle aged black man was one of their best officers, and even had a degree in chemistry. The one thing Jill liked about him most was that he was humble, and a family man. He even was a professional landscaping artist. Edward was younger, bolder, but just as friendly and hardworking as good 'ol Ken.

"I want you two to go to the hospital and go through the autopsy results of those murders out on the hiking trails. Get a warrant from pig-man."

They nodded at the captain and left. Jill tried to hide her smile. Pig-man was what they called Irons behind his back. After that was over, Wesker sat down at his desk, propping his feet again. He cleared his throat, and they all turned to look at him.

"Well, it's good to see that everyone is here this morning. No one late, I presume?"

Jill was sure Joseph was wanting to say that Captain Wesker was late himself, but he dared not speak it aloud. He did, however, speak to the captain with a wily grin on his face. He pointed at Jill.

"Jill was late saving kittens, Captain."

Jill knew this was Joseph's way of getting her back for all the things she did to him in the past week. Now, she was going to have to endure Wesker's speech. They all heard Wesker chuckle softly, and Jill didn't know if that was good or bad.

"Kittens, Valentine?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Jill replied, glaring at Joseph.

"I hope that kitten is alive and well. We don't need any poor, defenseless creature left unsaved, isn't that right, Frost?" Wesker purred, spinning his chair around to where they could only see the back of his chair and barely the top of his head. He looked kind of like a villain in a strange way.

Joseph grunted in surprise. They were all confused by Wesker's mood. Joseph was unsure how to react, and he stuttered for a moment. He looked at Brad for help, but Chickenheart Vickers was not saying a word. "I…guess…so?"

"Good, I'm glad we could all agree," Wesker stated seriously, turning back around to face his team.

Jill looked up to Chris. He was just as confused as she was. They both saw Barry raise his eyebrows for a moment, then get back to work. Wesker had already propped his feet back up on his desk. That was a good sign that he was in a good mood. He got over Iron's rage pretty quickly, it seemed.

"Chickenheart, front and center," Wesker said out loud.

They heard Joseph stifle a chuckle. Brad came over to Wesker's desk from his own. He seemed nervous, as always, but nodded at his captain.

"Yes sir?"

"I want you to fetch Aiken and set out to city hall to help the mayor put up that new security unit," Wesker ordered casually, then yawned, as if bored. "Apparently, our dear beloved Chief volunteered us."

Brad looked unsure. He glanced back at his teammates. He knew as well as they did that Richard was taking a vacation day for his two year old daughter, Michelle. Either Wesker forgot or he didn't care. There was a good chance that it was the latter.

Brad stuttered, "B-but, sir. Richard is spending time with Michelle. It's her birthday today. Are you sure I can't take Joseph with me?"

Wesker glared at Brad. Jill saw Brad flinch, and she felt sorry for the soft-hearted guy. Heaving a sigh, the captain pulled up his walky-talky.

"Hey, Enrico?"

"Yes, sir?" the walky-talky beeped.

"Did Richard take the day off?"

"Yes, sir, he did. It's his daughter's birthday. Don't blame him. It's my fault, I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you. Damn hellish schedule."

"Copy that," Wesker growled, and lowered the gizmo. He looked up to Brad through his dark shades. "Take Frost with you. Make sure you don't screw it up."

"Yes, sir!"

Joseph emitted a loud grumble in the back as he stood from his desk. He quickly regretted it when he saw Wesker's look. Jill slightly shook her head. There went Wesker's good mood for the day; all because Richard had to miss. Not that she blamed Richard. Didn't Wesker understand that many of the S.T.A.R.S members had families?

"Frost, thirty before you go."

"Aw, but Captain!"

"That's forty. I don't need your mouth running today."

Joseph got down and started on his forty push-ups. Jill was glad she never had to do them. Joseph got them the worst, but Jill saw Brad, Chris, and some members of Bravo have to do them as well.

"Captain!" yelled Enrico.

"What?" Wesker replied into the walky-talky.

"Robbery at Southside Avenue Bank! Some units are already being deployed. Any S.T.A.R.S, sir?"

Wesker took his legs off his desk quickly. He stood up. They all could tell that quick actions were flowing through his sharp mind. He was already strategizing.

"You and Barry get after it," Wesker stated, and nodded at Barry.

Barry didn't hesitate. He did his captain's orders, and immediately started to get ready for action. Chris watched him with slight worry etched on his handsome face. Barry was like an uncle to him. They went way back.

"Barry, be careful, alright?"

"Don't worry, Chris," chuckled Barry, winking at Chris and Jill before bolting out of the office to join Enrico.

"Keep in contact in case it gets nasty," Wesker said into the walky-talky.

"I will, Captain!"

When Joseph finished his push-ups, he and Brad left to go to city hall together. That only left Wesker, Jill, and Chris. There was silence for a moment, as Wesker was still thinking with walky-talky in hand. Chris smiled at Jill. They were partners. When Jill joined the S.T.A.R.S unit back then, he went from being Barry's partner to her partner. Chris never complained one bit, and neither did Jill.

"What do you want us to do, Wesker? Are you sure you don't want Jill and me to go with Barry?" Chris asked.

Wesker looked over at Chris as if he forgot he was there. He then shook his head. He probably was having deep thoughts. He attached the walky-talky to his belt and walked over to his last two Alpha members.

"No, the three of us have an investigation to do. Those murders out on the hiking trails. Let's go check them out. The police found no evidence, but I'm sure we can."

Chris and Jill nodded at their captain. They all got ready and went out, leaving the S.T.A.R.S office empty and silent. Wesker drove the police GMC Yukon Denali to the site out of Raccoon City towards Raccoon Forest's hiking trails.

***

Jill searched her area of the woods around the hiking trails. Chris and Wesker weren't that far off away from each other. They were out here for a good part of the day. Even Barry and Enrico joined them here after lunch. The bank heist was taken care of.

It was when they all came upon a large house in the middle of the woods that they started to feel edgy. This had to be leading them on the correct path. The captain informed them that the police searched around the house, but had no warrant to go inside.

"However, gentlemen…and lady, I do have a warrant," Wesker said coolly with a smile.

"Alright, Captain Wesker!" Joseph called out just as he and Brad showed up.

"This place gives me the creeps!" Brad shivered, looking all around him.

"Did you two get the security up in city hall?" Wesker asked.

"We sure did, Captain!"

Wesker sighed, "Right, Barry, Enrico, I want you to check the shed over there. Joseph, Brad, search around the property for anything we may have missed. Chris, you go with them."

Chris frowned. What about Jill? They were partners, but he couldn't complain to his supervisor. Chris reluctantly nodded at Wesker, taking a glance to Jill. She gave him a meek smile.

"What does Jill get to do, stand there?" Joseph grumbled.

"No, I'm going to use her skills to unlock the house. Then we are going inside," Wesker retorted, tone even with agitation.

The captain turned and started to walk up to the house. Jill hesitated before following her captain. Chris watched her go, not realizing that Joseph and Barry were smiling at him.

"Ooh! Chris is jealous of the Captain stealing his girl-I mean partner!" Joseph cackled.

Chris glared at Joseph, who just kept on snickering. Brad wasn't too thrilled about anything right now, and watched all around them as if he expected a monster to jump out and eat them.

Jill worked her magic on the porch, unlocking the front door with skill. Her and Wesker put up their position afterwards, and they burst in, leaving the others outside.

The house was empty. There were signs showing that not a single living person lived here for years, maybe. Old, worn-out furniture was falling apart, collecting dust and bugs. Jill kept alert and searched the house. She didn't even notice that the captain was gone until she glanced back. He was supposed to have been watching her back, and bringing up the rear.

Jill backtracked. Wesker was nowhere to be found. She went through the kitchen, where she almost lost her lunch. A dead rat was in the grimy sink, halfway rotted to mush. It filled the dirty air with its rotting corpse. The living room had a staircase leading up to the silent second floor. However, Jill kept herself moving through the kitchen into the back room. The large utility room was a mess, and Jill had to be careful as she maneuvered through it. Cobweb spiders, along with their messy webs took over the corners and ceiling. She noticed the small, open staircase that led down into the basement.

Jill hesitated, looking down into pitch darkness. She withdrew her flashlight from her belt, and proceeded to turn it on. She took a deep breath, and went to head down. A hand grabbed her arm hard and pulled her back. Jill whirled around on her attacker, but froze when she realized it was her captain. He was glaring at her behind his sunglasses as he let her go.

"What do you think you are doing? Not alone, you don't," he growled.

"You were the one who disappeared on me!" Jill barked, not afraid to defend herself against her supervisor.

"Never mind that," he retorted. "Let's go."

Jill blinked at his back. They hadn't even finished investigating the whole house yet. She heaved a sigh, and followed him out. As Jill and Wesker were walking back through the kitchen, they heard a yelp from outside. They hardly glanced at one another. They were pelting for the front door. They jumped off of the porch, raising their guns and trying to find the source.

Wesker growled lowly and holstered his pistol. Jill heaved a sigh and copied her boss. They found Joseph on the ground, rolling in fits of laughter. Brad was holding himself not too far away, his face beet red.

Barry and Enrico just walked up with Chris. They were trying not to laugh, especially in the presence of a very annoyed Wesker. Chris kicked Joseph, and he stopped laughing. He could hardly breathe as he got to his feet.

"What on earth is so funny?" Wesker growled.

"Sorry, Captain. I wasn't even trying and I scared poor Brad!"

"It wasn't you Joseph! I saw a huge dog run through the briar patch over there! It was black! It looked like a freakin' rottweiler!" Brad defended, pointing to the bushes.

Just after his words, a sleek, black cat came trotting out of the bush with its tail high. It started to meow in their presence. It went straight to Jill and started to rub on her legs. Jill bent down to pet the animal.

Joseph burst into laughter once more. Brad blushed redder. Enrico rolled his eyes while Barry stifled a grin. Chris was also laughing, but none of them missed Wesker's twitching eye after he took his shades off.

"A rottweiler, Brad?" Chris chuckled.

"It was there! I saw it!"

"Yeah, that's one badass dog right there!" Joseph cackled, pointing to the loving cat. Jill was having fun petting it while trying not to laugh at poor Brad.

The cat suddenly puffed up and hissed madly. It took off running into the woods opposite of the briar patch it came out of. Not even seconds later, did a large rottweiler come running out. It charged Enrico with snarls and incredible speed. Barry and Enrico dodged with just enough time. The rottweiler landed and whirled around. It had a wild look in its eyes, and it was snarling like an animal they never heard before.

Jill didn't like the looks of the dog. There was little foam around the mouth, but Jill had saw too many rabid animals to not know rabies. This rottweiler had something else wrong with it, whether it had rabies or not.

It charged Chris. Chris didn't hesitate, and shot the dog in the head before it could pounce. The dog didn't even yelp, just crashed to the ground. Blood oozed out of its skull, but it was then they all noticed the heavy smell of rot that lingered in the area.

"Let's go. We need to report an immediate case of rabies in the area," Wesker ordered briskly.

They didn't argue. They followed their captain back to the vehicles to head back into Raccoon City. Jill didn't like the feeling in her gut as she sat beside Chris on the way back.

* * *

**Forgive me, I'm not so great at naming chapters, lol! Between William and the wild guys in S.T.A.R.S I don't know who Wesker can tolerate more. I guess we will see more about that later, hehehee! XD**


	3. Chapter 2: Elusive Wesker

**Chapter 2: Elusive Wesker**

A week later, and the rabies alert was all over the city. Jill was still skeptical, but kept it to herself. Her gut just told her that there was something else going on. Maybe she was just being too paranoid.

Wesker never showed up to work. Irons was farting flames and throwing a fit. Chris and Jill left to try and find their captain at home. Jill rode with Chris in his Dodge Ram over to Wesker's large home in the suburbs of town. Jill was actually envious of the captain's house. She often wondered how he could afford such a place, even if he was the Captain of S.T.A.R.S.

Just as they were stepping onto the porch, a large Doberman came running around the corner of the house. From their scare a week ago, the two automatically readied themselves.

The Doberman hardly growled at them. It sat down right in front of the door. When Chris tried to go to the front door, the Doberman would snarl. When they wouldn't try to pass the dog, it would just sit there and watch them. The Doberman had a collar and tags, so they assumed it belonged to Wesker. They noticed that Wesker's car wasn't here.

"I didn't think Wesker owned pets," Jill stated. There was nothing wrong with this dog like the one in the forest. It was just a very good guard dog.

"Me either. Let's go. I'll try his cell phone again," Chris sighed.

As they left, the Doberman got to its paws and followed them. They didn't turn their back on the lithe animal, even as it showed no sign of aggression. It stopped right at the property edge and just stood there. Jill couldn't believe the intelligence she saw in the dog's eyes. Wesker must've trained this animal extremely well.

They got into the Ram and drove off. Barry was in charge back at the precinct. Chris got out his cell phone to try and call Wesker again. Both he and Jill were starting to worry for their captain.

***

"Where the hell is Marcus?" Wesker growled.

"You think I know?" William chuckled. "Thanks, babe."

Annette smiled after handing her husband a cup of tea. She offered Wesker a cup, though she was cautious. Wesker shook his head. Annette didn't trust him too well, but they had a mutual agreement with each other, only for William's sake. Wesker could care less what Annette thought. She was a brilliant woman, sharp-minded and strong. She fit well here with Umbrella's research. However, Wesker only got along with her as needed.

"You and I are taking a trip into the mountains to the abandoned house down by the trails."

"You mean the old Waller house?" William asked in surprise.

"Yes, I was there trying to find his files with my team. We got attacked by a CA-12. Any idea how one got all the way down there?"

"That's not good. One of the scientists reported that three of the dogs got loose. I bet that was one of them."

"The virus was still in the first stage. The dog just looked like it had rabies. I announced the rabies alert to cover it up."

"That will only work for awhile. Once the virus hits second stage, there is no longer a way to cover it up. We need to capture the remaining two."

"Or destroy them. I'm more interested in finding something in the house that we can use. Go look up Waller's research and see which disc has the old data from Africa," Wesker replied coolly.

William groaned, and reluctantly got up. As he went to go tell Annette where they were going, and to tell Marcus when he showed up, Wesker left out of the labs of B3 and headed up. He was sure it would only take William a minute to hack through Waller's old files. Once Wesker was outside, he noticed it was a gloomy day, with thick clouds warning of a thunderstorm.

Wesker walked the courtyard of the Spencer estate and even entered the huge mansion. It was when he was passing Lord Spencer's study room, that the door opened. Wesker hardly glanced back, figuring it was the head honcho.

"Hey," came the voice that he so desired.

He paused in his stroll, and turned around. Ada Wong was dressed in black dress pants and a dark blue blouse. Wesker couldn't help the smirk that formed onto his face. He met the agent almost three months back. From day one, Albert Wesker desired her. She was dating John Howe, one of the head scientists attending here at the Spencer mansion.

"Well, hello there. You are looking quite gorgeous. Is there something going on that I don't know about?" Wesker greeted.

"The celebration dinner is tonight. For the success of the virus enhancing Neptune after so many failures."

"Ah, yes. It slipped my mind."

"Well, you and William are hardly here. You work all the time, and he's in the labs under Raccoon City. I'm not surprised," Ada replied with a flirtatious smile.

Wesker slid off his sunglasses. Their eyes locked. Wesker didn't notice how close their bodies were. He couldn't help but to look her up and down.

"And this is what you are wearing?" Wesker asked.

"Oh, no. This was for the meeting I had to attend with Spencer. It was boring so don't even ask."

Wesker chuckled so softly, it sounded almost like a purr. "If you look this dazzling now, I can't wait to see you tonight. Even though you look dazzling all the time."

Ada smiled. "Thank you."

"Ahem!"

They both shot their heads over. William was tapping his foot while having his arms crossed. Ada stifled a grin and backed away from Wesker. Wesker thought he could strangle his friend at this moment, but contained himself.

"We got an abandoned house to go to!" William exclaimed, and passed them.

Wesker growled lowly, but turned back to the beautiful agent. Ada beamed at him after watching William walk by.

"I'll see you tonight," Wesker murmured, and stalked after Birkin.

"Can't wait," purred Ada.

***

Wesker and William searched all around the property of the house. When they were going through stashes of documentaries and files inside the house, William decided to pull Wesker's chain.

"Man, if you're going to do her, then do her before John finds out."

Wesker glared at his friend and rival. "I don't think none of that is your business."

"Oh, yes it is!" William snickered. "I just can't get over the way you two look at each other! It's a wonder how John hasn't noticed!"

"You are distracting me," Wesker grumbled, and flipped through more files. The data they were searching for was not here.

"So, do you just want to get into her pants, or is it something more? If it's something more, then you better do something fast before John goes in for the snag."

Wesker heaved a sigh, but kept to himself. He let William have his fun. They went to the back utility room. Wesker and William stopped at the edge of the stairs that led down into pitch blackness.

"Do you want to go?" Wesker asked while William was snickering about Ada.

"No."

"Then shut up."

Wesker flipped on his flashlight and started down the stairs. William stayed where he was, watching his partner stroll down into the strange darkness like it was nothing. A large cobweb spider eased down by its abdomen to dangle inches from his face. William's eye twitched and he took a few steps back. As he noticed the colony of spiders that had made their homes here in the abandoned house, he started to wonder exactly what kind of results he would get if he mixed the virus with these disturbing creatures. The cobwebs were messy and dirty, waiting for prey. William was reminded of all the cobwebs he managed to break through in his life, and he sighed.

"They never came and got Waller's body?" Wesker called.

William shivered, picturing the rotting corpse of Dr. Waller. "Eww! He's still down there?!"

"What was the file name, William? There are countless discs down here."

"Uh…"

"Did you forget it?" he heard Wesker growl.

William huffed. "No! It's File CBF70188Z10!"

Wesker gave no answer, so William waited. Soon, he heard footsteps, and Wesker reappeared with a computer disc in his hand. He hit the spider out of the way, and passed William, heading for the exit of the house.

"We need to find those two CA-12s," Will stated, following him.

"I know. Let's hurry up and kill them. I have a dinner I need to get ready for."

William snorted at Wesker's remark, a grin plastered on his handsome face.

***

Chris took Jill out for lunch. No one knew where Wesker was. They gave up. Barry and Chris worked together to lead the team. Enrico would come in for nightshift with his crew later.

Chris and Jill enjoyed each other's company while eating. They laughed and joked, enjoying the cloudy day. Their shift was slow today. The Alpha team had been doing nothing but paperwork.

Chris's cell phone started to ring. When Chris looked at it, he was horrified to see that it was Chief Irons. He gave Jill a look, and she knew all too well.

"Chris Redfield."

"Redfield! I want you over at Wesker's house immediately. I don't care if you and Valentine have to sit there all night! I want you to wait until he gets back! Do you hear me?! As soon as you see him, have him report to my office!"

Chris almost broke his jaw from clenching it so hard. He took a deep breath to try and remain calm. "Yes…sir."

Irons already hung up. Chris slapped his cell shut. He paid for their food and the tip, and they left. He explained everything to Jill as they got into his Ram once again. Jill was aggravated at Irons, but they both could not do a damn thing.

They drove to Wesker's neighborhood. They parked beside the driveway, only to notice that Wesker's black BMW M5 was there. Again, Jill wondered how he could afford such a thing. The S.T.A.R.S didn't make _that _much money.

"He's here," Chris mumbled, smiling over at Jill.

They got out and headed up onto the porch again. Chris pushed the doorbell. They heard intimidating barks erupt on the other side of the door. They figured it was their friend, the Doberman, again.

"The door's open!" Wesker called.

Chris glanced at Jill. He opened the door and entered first. Jill followed on in behind her partner. The house was luxurious on the inside. Jill could've killed Wesker for it. They entered the living room, where they found Wesker talking on his cell phone. He wasn't in his S.T.A.R.S outfit. Jill had never seen him in anything else. He was wearing black, formal clothes. They were extremely nice, and Jill could tell they were expensive. Wesker looked as if he was about to go to a party or something.

The Doberman blocked them. It stopped barking, and just stared up at them. However, from his ordeal this morning, Chris didn't try to walk around the dog. Wesker slapped his phone shut, and turned to face them.

"Chris, Jill, what a surprise. Night, heel. They're alright."

The Doberman's pointy ears twitched, and they saw it wiggle its nub-tail. Still, it didn't move from its spot to let them through. Wesker spoke to the dog again, only this time he said something in another language. Jill recognized it as German. It must've been an order, because Night whimpered and moved away.

The Doberman trotted over to Wesker's side and sat down. Chris and Jill walked over to their captain. More than anything, they were just glad that Wesker was alright.

"You had us worried, Wesker. Why didn't you call?" Chris asked.

"Sorry. I've been out of town all day. I'm actually getting ready to leave again. You all did fine without me, right?"

"Luckily. We tried calling and paging you," Jill answered.

"I left my pager, and my cell phone hardly worked at all today. Still, if I know you guys at all, I know you had no problem."

"Irons is still pissed. He wants to see you ASAP," Chris stated.

"Does he now? I guess he will have to wait until morning," Wesker heaved. He patted his Doberman on the head.

"But he-"

Chris was cut off by his captain as he looked at his watch. "Look at the time! Your shift is over. Enrico's shift starts. I bet you two want to go home and relax, hmm? I will see you in the morning. I have got to run."

They followed Wesker outside without a word. Wesker let Night out with them before he locked his door and shut it. Night was as happy as can be getting his attention from his master. As soon as Wesker said two words in German, the dog perked up and tensed. The Doberman turned back and went to the front door. He sat down and stayed, keeping alert while sitting proudly.

"Have a good evening," Wesker stated, and hit the button on his keys. The BMW chirped at him. He got in it and pulled out of there. Chris heaved a sigh. He and Jill got into his truck and left. There was nothing they could do about Wesker.

***

Wesker watched as William had the small crowd of scientists entertained with his jokes. Annette was not here with him. She was at home with their daughter, Sherry. Dr. Marcus was chatting with Lord Spencer and a head scientist not too far away.

The party was taking place in the guesthouse behind the mansion. Many were crowded in the game room, while others were in the other rooms. The labs down where Neptune was being kept were locked for now, but Wesker figured they would all be going down there to witness the shark.

The game room was very large, holding a marvelous bar, and even a pool table upstairs. Wesker could hear people above him playing the game. People all around him were enjoying themselves.

"Man, I wish the Ashfords were here!" Will sighed happily. He had just got done cracking up at one of his own jokes.

"Why? They aren't going to come such a long way just for a shark," snorted Wesker.

"I know, but I just love getting on Alexia's nerve! I could rub my research in her face!"

"Will, you still have modifications for the G-Virus that need to be done," Wesker chuckled.

William snorted, "And what exactly have you done, hmm?"

"Oh, the usual, murder, blackmail, anything necessary to get what we desire. I got you your precious lab, didn't I?"

"You sure did," William answered with a grin. His eyes flashed, and his grin grew even wider. He slapped Wesker in the arm and pointed. Wesker followed his friend's eyes. "Look who's here!"

John Howe was greeting colleagues in formal wear. Ada Wong stood at his side in the most beautiful violet dress. The dress showed off every single curve, and made her skin look even more brilliant. Wesker had to take his sunglasses off.

William whistled, "Wow! She's looking fine tonight!"

Wesker could only stare. John had his arm around her waist as they walked along and greeted others. Wesker didn't understand why he was feeling compelled to kill everyone around her.

"Man, don't stare! John will notice!" Will hissed.

"Maybe I want him to notice," Wesker answered coolly, and took a drink of his champagne.

William rolled his eyes, but he smiled anyways. "Ding ding! The fight is on! Wesker versus John! Round one, go!"

Wesker started walking over to the couple. Will could not contain his laughter. When Wesker came up to John and Ada, the two greeted him. Wesker shook John's hand.

"Congratulations, John. You are the man of the hour."

"Thank you, Wesker," John replied with a smile. He nodded at him, though Wesker could see the sparkle of unease in his eyes.

"And Miss Wong, you look absolutely marvelous. I hope you like attention, because you are getting a lot of it."

Wesker loved the look in her eyes as she smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Dr. Wesker. I must say you are looking striking yourself."

John laughed softly beside them. He kissed Ada on the temple as he kept a hold around her waist. He was staring directly at Wesker. Wesker stared right back.

"Babe, we need to go talk to Spencer real quick."

"Of course, John."

John led Ada away. Ada glanced back at him. Wesker turned and walked back over to William, but a smirk had slowly grown onto his face.

"Ouch. I think Round One goes to John," William snorted.

"Why do you say that? We were only having a bit of fun. Besides, Round One has just begun."

William snorted again. "I think John will win this. Sorry, Wesker."

Wesker smirked at Will. "He may win the battle, but I will win the war. And when I do, I will gain the greatest reward."

"This is going to be _very_ interesting."

The two friends dinged their glasses together in a small toast.

* * *

**I'm trying to make such an odd, but good relationship as friends and partners between Wesker and William. I figured it would be interesting, since I made them so different, but at the same time they seem to work so great. Anyways, let me know how I am coming along on that, hehehe. I made William a little querky. I blame ShadowLeggy for that on YouTube. Lol, all her videos are hilarious, and I just love how she makes William!**


	4. Chapter 3: Men and Dogs

**Chapter 3: Men and Dogs**

Chris was just getting out of his truck when Jill's Mustang came to a stop next to him. He grinned while he walked around. She was getting her things and stepping out of the car. She smiled at him in return.

"Wow, Jill. I think this is the first time ever that you're on time! You even beat Joseph!" Chris laughed.

"I know! I was surprised myself!" Jill giggled.

"Here, let me carry your things."

He took Jill's files and jacket for her. Jill gave him a sweet smile and thanked him. They walked together into the precinct to their office. When they arrived, they found out that they were the only ones beside Wesker, who was snoozing in his chair. Wesker had his legs propped up on the desk, and his arms crossed. His head was tilted back against his chair. Silence came from the captain, even as they strolled in.

Chris took Jill's things to her desk. They got their stuff situated, then left for coffee, but not after glancing back at their motionless captain. Chris and Jill took a trip down to the lounge to get some coffee and snacks.

"Weird. I've never seen Wesker rack out before," Chris stated in amusement.

"He must've had a long night…wherever he went."

They got coffee and snacks and went back upstairs into the S.T.A.R.S office. By this time, Brad was at his desk. He gave them a wild look when he saw them.

"Shh! Don't wake him up! He's sleeping!" he hissed.

Chris had to laugh at his comrade. Brad was terrified of Wesker to put it simply. Well, none of them blamed him when it came to Wesker's bad mood. If they woke up Wesker, there was a guarantee he would be in a bad mood.

Barry showed up, and then Richard. They went to their desks and got situated. Jill and Chris greeted each of them silently. Just as Chris and Jill were sitting down, Joseph Frost decided to burst right on in with a wide grin. Brad practically squealed upon seeing his comrade. They knew it was too late though.

"Morning, everyone!" he yelled.

Wesker jerked in his chair. Jill groaned beside Chris, who stifled a grin. Brad gulped and made himself as small as possible. Richard and Barry kept their heads low and went to work.

Joseph realized what he had done. He froze in terror. They all cautiously looked over to their captain. Wesker was rubbing his eyes. The look was almost priceless enough. He looked lost for a moment, as if he was surprised to wake up in the precinct. He slid on his sunglasses and got up. After a small yawn he went to the board behind him.

"Alright, people. The rabies alert is all over the city, but it will only remain for another two weeks. We have Animal Control dealing with most of it. So, if you own any animals, it would probably be best to get the necessary shots."

Chris exchanged a look with Jill. It was almost scary to see Wesker be normal after being woke up by the one member that annoys him most. Joseph was still frozen in front of the doors, afraid to move and be spotted.

"Frost, is there a reason why you are still standing?" Wesker growled.

"N-no, sir!" Joseph dove for his seat beside Chickenheart.

"The next time you want to wake me up, make sure you don't look like you're about to crap your pants afterwards," heaved Wesker, rubbing his temple.

"Y-yes, sir!"

"Now, I believe we all have work to do. Not unless everyone wants to do drills?"

They immediately got to work. No one wanted to do drills. It started out as a slow morning, then by noon things started to speed up. They got busy with their own assignments.

Chris was relieved it slowed down enough to take a lunch. He walked over to Jill, who was putting her paperwork in order in a file. Wesker had already left for lunch, while all the others were still working. They could only take lunch breaks a few at a time. Barry was left in charge over Brad, Joseph, and Richard.

"A new café opened up down by Raccoon High. Want to join me in trying it out?" Chris asked with a handsome grin.

Jill smiled sweetly at him. "Sounds great."

Joseph whistled and started to sing. "Chris and Jill sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, second comes marriage-ouch!"

Richard had stomped on Joseph's foot. Joseph glared at his comrade. Jill didn't seem fazed by the song. She just passed Chris to head out of the S.T.A.R.S office. Chris gave Joseph a warning look, and Joseph snickered.

Later that day, when Alpha's shift was coming to an end, Chris and the others greeted Bravo Team. Kenneth was the first to show up, then Edward. Enrico started to discuss something with Wesker in the corner. Forest was last to show up, and he greeted Chris with a slap handshake.

"Hey bud, how's it going?" Chris greeted.

"Nothing much, man. Getting ready for a long night," Forest chuckled. "Jill, how are you?"

"I'm great now that my shift is over. Thanks."

"Richard, you came in for a double, huh?" Forest chuckled.

"It's not like I have a life or anything," Richard laughed, and the others followed.

"I'm so outta here, so goodnight people!" Joseph called before escaping.

"I have to take the girls over to their grandmother's. I'll see you guys Thursday," Barry said. He was off tomorrow as well as Brad was.

"Night, Barry!" Chris retorted.

"What about you, Brad? Do you have flowers you need to go plant?" Forest cackled.

"Funny, Forest. I'm actually going out to a bar. My cousin is in town."

"Wow! Brad drinking! I'm going to crap myself!" Forest laughed.

Brad shook his head, but still smiled. He left his comrades. Soon after, Chris and Jill left together. They talked out in the parking lot while leaning on their vehicles. They watched Captain Wesker leave the precinct alone. He was talking on his cell phone. Chris and Jill watched him get into his BMW and head out.

"Do you find it odd that Wesker can afford such things? Or am I being weird?" Jill asked.

"No, I agree. Maybe he just manages his money well. Or maybe he has rich relatives."

Jill snorted at Chris's point. "He doesn't seem much like a family man. He sure does seem to be busy all the time, even when he's not here."

"I know."

"Well, Mr. Redfield, goodnight. I will see you in the morning."

Chris grinned. "Be sure to be on time! No excuse unless there are kittens involved!"

Jill laughed, "I'll try."

"Goodnight, Jill."

"Night."

***

"I can't believe we have to come to this stupid meeting! Do they not realize what time it is?! I have to keep a tight schedule down in the underground lab, and they are just messing it all up!" Birkin raved.

Wesker hardly listened as he and William followed Marcus down into the laboratories. Wesker looked at his watch. It was almost midnight. He growled, knowing he would have to be at the police station at six in the morning. At least the day after tomorrow would be his day off from the precinct. He would still be stuck with Marcus and William though.

They entered the large conference room down in B1. Wesker growled when he saw Sergei Vladimir at Sir Spencer's side. He also spotted his good ally Nicholai Ginovaef, but he couldn't talk to him here and now. Some higher-up scientists were here, along with a couple of agents. Wesker was pleased to see Ada, but unpleased to see that she sat next to John.

Wesker took a seat next to William while Dr. Marcus made his way over to Sir Spencer. Wesker locked eyes with Ada. Her eyes told him that she wasn't too happy about this situation either. Both she and John looked tired. Everyone was tired. Wesker didn't care. He just wanted to kill John for some reason. He popped his neck and his fingers and leaned back in his chair.

"Alright. I'm just going to get to the point," Spencer growled while leaning on his cane. He didn't look too happy, so everyone stayed quiet. "An unknown number of CA-12s have escaped. I either have idiots looking after them, or something else is going on here. Since we can't even get a number of how many are missing yet, I'm having my agents look into it. Thanks to Albert, we have one week to get them cleared out before the rabies alert is disbanded. By then, the virus will have turned them completely, and we will not have a cover-up. Dr. Marcus, Dr. Howe, and Dr. Emerson, you three are in charge of enforcing new regulations to the labs. Sergei, take a search party to annihilate any CA-12s you see. Nicholai, I want you to go with him."

Sergei left with Nicholai right behind him. Wesker was able to relax a little bit better. Spencer pointed to the agents he wanted to deal with the investigation. They left afterwards as well.

"Dr. Howe, please take Dr. Marcus and Dr. Emerson down into your lab so you three can start working on what needs to be done about this situation."

John nodded at Spencer. He seemed reluctant to leave Ada, but he had to. Dr. Marcus and Dr. Emerson followed the younger man out of the conference room. This only left a few other scientists, William, Wesker, Ada, and Sir Spencer.

"William, you are dismissed to go home for the night. Don't worry about your research down in your laboratory for now."

William seemed surprised by Spencer's words. He gave Wesker a glance, who hardly shrugged his shoulders. Wesker watched his friend get up and leave.

"Albert, I know you have to be at the precinct early tomorrow, but could you possibly assist Miss Wong in checking the pens?" Spencer asked.

Wesker glanced over at Ada. She seemed uncomfortable for some reason all by herself in her seat. Their eyes locked, and Wesker smirked very slowly. He looked over to his superior and nodded.

"Of course, Lord Spencer."

"Thank you. This meeting is now adjourned."

Wesker and Ada walked together out of the laboratories. Wesker was pleased to notice the look on John's face as they passed him, Dr. Marcus, and Dr. Emerson in the hallways. They took flashlights out into the cool, haunting night.

Once they were out of the labs, Ada seemed to relax more. She slowed her pace so they could at least enjoy their walk to the pens. They went through the courtyard into the back of the estate grounds, near the guesthouse. A large kennel was set up here in three different positions next to each other. Each division held a breed of dog. Umbrella only used Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds as their guard dogs and test subjects for the Cerberus projects.

They went through the rottweiler kennel first. Searching through the pens that were empty, they tried to gather as much information as they could. The two hardly spoke, but Wesker was aware that they were also watching each other.

Ada stifled a smile and went back to checking the locks. One of the rottweilers in the next pen over came over to her. It started to snarl and bark. Ada was hardly fazed by the dog's intimidating behavior. She knew their was a chain linked fence between them. Still, Wesker found it aggravating. He walked right over to Ada and kicked the fence hard. He hit the dog as well, and it backed off with one last snarl.

"They aren't much use if they aren't trained right," Wesker stated.

Ada softly chuckled as she stood on her feet. "That's what my mother used to say about men."

Wesker snorted. "Well, then, I hope that John is trained well."

Their eyes locked. Wesker was delighted that she kept his gaze in a fiery stare down that seemed to last forever. He didn't know what it was about this woman that made him feel this way. He never had such feelings before. All Wesker knew was that he desired her.

"The locks were picked on these pens," she stated evenly after a long moment.

"Hmm." Wesker rubbed his eyes while he thought. "Let's check the other two sections."

They did too. The Dobermans were more inquisitive than the rottweilers, more territorial. Ada and Wesker found that the empty pens were also picked open. Last were the German Shepherds, still mostly normal, so acting only curious to their invasion. None of them were missing, and so no locks were picked.

They headed to the guesthouse, then followed the courtyard back to the mansion. They hardly discussed the dog pens at all. Ada eased past Spencer's study, where they were supposed to report. Wesker couldn't hide his smirk as he followed her.

They eased through the double doors into the hallway over. Ada stopped by the large windows and leaned on the seal to look out into the darkness. Wesker joined her without a word. The mansion was silent, empty. Everyone was down in the laboratories doing their jobs.

"I had to deal with Spencer's bad mood all day. All I've heard all day was dogs this and CA-12s that. If he would've stopped ranting long enough to realize the time, maybe he could've made that meeting earlier."

"I'm sorry to here that," Wesker answered.

"So, what are you thinking? Is someone here letting the dogs out? Or is there someone else?" Ada inquired.

"We will have to look into it more. I'm sure you and I can just imagine what Sir Spencer will say."

Ada slightly rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "Yeah, well, thank you for coming out there with me."

Wesker nodded at her. Ada eased her smile a bit, but her eyes lowered to the floor. Wesker actually felt instinct kick in. Their bodies were already only inches apart. She sensed his movement, and looked up.

Wesker kissed her. He just couldn't stop himself, and it surprised him. He never lost control of himself before, and he couldn't figure in his head if he was angry or thrilled. Ada started to kiss right back. Before Wesker knew it, he had her against the wall and was kissing and feeling her all over. His mind was racing to take this somewhere else, or to stop it all together, but his body wouldn't respond.

"A-ahem."

They both froze. They looked over to see William with a hot cup of coffee and an extremely satisfied look on his handsome face. Wesker growled lowly and backed off of Ada. The female agent had to completely recollect herself.

"I was just going to go talk to Spencer, but that was much better. Completely out of nowhere, yes. Wow…I'm strangely aroused," William snickered.

Ada stifled a grin and a laugh, even though she was thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed. She moved her hand to her forehead. Wesker was struggling to maintain the little control he had left to not kill his best friend and coworker.

Wesker took a deep breath. "Weren't you supposed to go home?"

"Well, it's already passed my curfew with Annette, so I thought I might as well have a coffee before heading home." His grin widened. "I'm so glad I stayed."

"I better go report to Spencer. Goodnight Wesker…William."

Wesker couldn't say anything, but William waved at her with a wink and a grin. He gave her a thumbs up. "Night, Ada!"

She left them alone. She hardly glanced back as she headed for the double doors, the men watching her go with her graceful walk. Wesker glared at William. He wasn't fazed in the least. He took a nice sip of his steaming coffee with a smile. His green eyes were sparkling mischievously.

"Round two has gone to Wesker, I'd say," he laughed. After a moment, Wesker smirked with him.

* * *

**Sorry for all the short chapters, lol! It always takes me awhile before I start making longer chapters. I have to get into the story flow, ^_^. I like how I ended this chapter for some reason, hehehehe!**


	5. Chapter 4: Sabotaged Lunch Date

**Chapter 4: Sabotaged Lunch Date**

The next morning, Wesker showed up late. It was Barry and Brad's day off, so it was just him, Chris, Jill, and Joseph. As always, he saw Chris at Jill's desk while they talked and ate breakfast with hot coffee. Joseph was building something out of paper clips.

The three Alpha team members looked up at their Captain as he entered. Before he could shut the door, that annoying, loud voice that made Wesker cringe came upon his back. Irons was fussing up a storm, and Wesker was not in the mood to hear it. He kicked the door shut hard, slamming Irons outside the S.T.A.R.S office. They heard Irons yell even louder.

"Don't think you can avoid me all day, _Captain_! I expect you to be in my office at the end of the day!" the Chief yelled. His loud voice slowly got lower as he stormed away from the S.T.A.R.S office.

What Wesker would give to kill that man. He had to let it go for now, though. If he wanted his plans to work, then he would have to continue letting Chief Irons think he was in charge. The best pawns are the ones that don't know they are pawns.

Chris went back to his desk without a word. Jill got to work, and so did the boys. They could tell just by Wesker's posture that he was not in a good mood.

He hated it. All he could think about was that female agent. Ada Wong was distracting him from his objectives. Albert Wesker hated distractions. However, he could not bring himself to get over her. There was something about her that riveted him. He wanted her, and that was just that.

"Captain?"

He shook out of his reverie. Chris stood in front of Wesker's desk waiting for permission to speak. Wesker moved his feet from atop his desk so he could see Redfield clearly. Jill and Joseph peered on curiously from their desks.

"What?" Wesker asked, taking off his sunglasses to rub his eyes. He got very little sleep last night, thanks to Spencer, William, and Ada.

"We got a message from Animal Control this morning. They said there was no evidence of rabies anywhere around Arklay," Chris stated seriously.

Wesker's eyes narrowed. "They didn't disband the alert did they?"

"No, at least not yet. They just wanted us to know."

Wesker got to his feet. "Know what? That we were wrong? We were all there. We weren't wrong."

Chris sighed. "I know. Anyways, they will be calling back tomorrow."

"I'm off duty tomorrow. I will just leave it to you, Chris."

Chris nodded and went back to his desk. The rest of the morning, the Alpha team spent their time doing paperwork. Wesker couldn't take it anymore, and let Jill and Chris take lunch together. He was stuck with Joseph for a full hour. When Chris and Jill got back, Joseph went on lunch.

By then, they got a call on domestic violence. Chris said the three of them could handle it. Wesker took his lunch break, and ran over to the pharmacy where the basement Umbrella lab was located. Wesker could always find William visiting Annette if he was not at the Spencer estate or the large laboratory under the city.

All he found was Annette. She told him that William was in a meeting with Spencer. As Wesker left, he checked his cell phone. He had two text messages. One was from William.

_OMG! I am gonna die of boredom! Oh, and Spencer is pissed!_

Wesker's lip twitched. He got into his BMW before reading the other text. This message was sent by Ada.

_You are lucky you are stuck at the precinct. Plant-42 has taken over one of the labs. Spencer dragged all of us into a meeting, and he is mad. I think William is going to die of boredom._

Wesker drove back to the precinct where he spent the rest of his break threatening Irons in secret. By the time he returned to the S.T.A.R.S office, Jill, Chris, and Joseph were there talking and doing paperwork.

Wesker went to his desk, still thinking about Ada and William. He wondered about Plant-42 and how it over mutated. Either someone made a mistake in the lab, or someone did it on purpose to flood the lab in predatory plant life. He was actually relieved that tomorrow was his day off.

***

The following day, Wesker went to the Spencer estate to meet up with Marcus and William. The two informed him of the Plant-42 situation. It was under control for the most part, but Spencer was still furious.

While Marcus was gone to talk to Lord Spencer, Wesker and William stayed down in the labs to do their experiments. While Wesker was mixing two chemicals together, he felt someone poke his shoulder.

"What, William?"

"I know the greatest place to go to for lunch today!"

"Really?" Wesker sounded unenthused. He flicked the glass vile to further mix the solution.

"Yeah, Mario's Bistro!"

"Why there?"

"Because John is taking Ada there today."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Wesker growled, looking at him.

"We could sabotage their lunch date! You know, just make ourselves home at their table! I have the greatest plan ever!"

"I bet you do."

"Then let's go! I'm starving!"

Before Wesker could object, William looped his arm with Wesker's and dragged him away from his experiment.

***

Mario's Bistro was a fine restaurant at the edge of town. Wesker endured William's babbling the whole way there in William's Lexus. He probably explained his plan like four times.

They strolled into the restaurant with a mission on mind. William pointed them out. They were sitting in a booth across from each other. They looked like they got here just in time. They only had their drinks.

William and Wesker walked right over to them. Just as Ada and John looked up, William was sliding into the booth to sit next to John. Wesker sat down by Ada, giving her a small nod. William made himself comfortable.

"Hey there, buddy! It's so funny! Wesker and I were going to eat here too! We figured we could just join you two! Hey, Ada! How are you, darling?"

"Good, thanks," Ada replied. She seemed a little confused. She gave a questioning look to Wesker, who only shrugged at her.

John looked both flustered and confused. "What? William, I think-" "Great! Hey waiter! I need two lemon waters please! Add it to Mr. Howe's tab will ya? Thanks!"

"What?!" John snapped. "No, don't listen to him please. They aren't with us!"

"Oh, c'mon, John! Stop joking around!" William snickered.

"That's it! Get out!" John barked.

William furrowed his eyebrows, sliding out of the booth to stand. John was right behind him. "How rude is that?" William snorted.

"I demand to know what is going on!" John ordered.

"John, it's okay," Ada put in.

"You need to calm down, John," William stated with a nod. He was completely serious. "There is no need to act this way."

John bellowed an aggravated sigh. "William, I think we need to talk." He glared at Ada and Wesker before dragging William to the men's bathroom.

"What was that all about?" Ada asked.

"William…just William," Wesker sighed, rubbing his temple.

"Of course."

"You look gorgeous today," Wesker told her.

"Thank you. Are you enjoying your day off from the precinct?"

"For the most part, yes."

"You know, you should take a day off from _both_ Spencer and the precinct once in awhile. I hate seeing you tired all the time."

"It's the only way to give Spencer what he wants."

Ada gave him a hard look. "Really? You seem like the kind of man who would work his ass off for others instead of himself."

"Are you being smart?" Wesker asked, smiling.

"Glad you noticed."

"Want to go somewhere…more classy than this?"

"What about John and William?" Ada asked, scowling.

"Just say you had an urgent call from Spencer."

Ada thought about it at first, then nodded. The two got up and left. Wesker pulled out William's keys to the Lexus and they hopped in.

"Did William give you the keys to his car before you two came in?" Ada asked, smiling.

"No, actually, I stole them from his pocket. This wasn't part of his plan."

"Plan?" Ada laughed.

The Lexus rolled off while purring beautifully. Not long after they were gone, William and John came back out of the bathroom to the booth. Ada and Wesker were gone.

"Where'd they go, William?" John growled.

"How the hell should I know? This wasn't part of- I mean, let's go look. They couldn't of gone far. I have my keys to…Wesker! He stole my keys!"

They ran outside. The Lexus was gone. John glared at William with passion. William cried while looking all over.

"My car!"

They stood in silence for a couple of minutes staring at the empty parking spot. The wind ruffled by, and the sounds of Raccoon City played in the background. William heaved a sigh, and turned to John.

"Wanna give me a ride back to Spencer's?" William asked.

John growled lowly.

***

Wesker took Ada out to a really fancy, expensive restaurant. He bought her a good lunch with her favorite wine to go with it. They had a good time, and Wesker took her and William's car back to the Spencer estate.

As they were heading down into the labs, they passed Marcus and Spencer, but said no words to them. When Wesker and Ada entered into William's lab, they found the young, brilliant scientist waiting for them. He had his arms crossed and his foot was tapping impatiently.

"Where have you two been?!" he snarled.

"Were you worried?" Ada asked.

"Yeah! Bout my car! Hand them over, Albert!"

Wesker heaved a sigh. He tossed William his keys. William caught them and then pocketed them. He gave his best friend and partner a cold glare.

"How could you?!"

Wesker shrugged. "I could've just hotwired it. I was being polite, Will."

William mumbled something and stalked off back to his experiments. Ada softly laughed as Birkin went away. Wesker turned to face her.

"I guess we had better get back to work."

"Yes. I need to go report to Spencer. Thanks for lunch, Wesker."

"Anything for you."

He then turned and followed William. Ada left and this left Wesker alone with his lab partner. The two were quiet for a long moment while resuming their duties.

"Anything for you," William mocked snobbishly.

Wesker heaved a sigh.

***

Ada crossed her legs for the forth time while listening to Spencer. The chair under her butt was starting to get uncomfortable. She wondered how long she had been stuck in his study room. Half the time the Lord was on the phone dealing with business before going back to her.

"Any clues on who is letting the dogs out?" Spencer asked. He took a sip of his hot tea when he settled his sharp grey eyes on her.

"No, not yet. Have you heightened security?"

"Yes, I have. Marcus and John have put together some new regulations and procedures to better help us. Sergei and Nicholai are out exterminating any pests that could get us in trouble."

"Hmm. So now all we need is the culprit."

"I'm surprised you haven't found him yet. Have you been distracted, Ada?"

Ada grunted. "Me? Distracted? No. You know me. I'm never distracted."

Spencer didn't seem too enthused on her answer. "Uh-huh," he mumbled and took another sip of his tea.

"Don't worry, sir. I will find out who's doing this."

"Then you are dismissed. Report to me if anything comes up. I will call you if I need you." Ada didn't say anything. She got up and left Spencer's study. When she shut the door behind her, she found John waiting for her. He didn't look too happy.

"Can I talk to you, babe?"

"Sure," Ada answered, nodding.

They went to Ada's room to be alone. At first, John paced the room, trying to find the right words while Ada sat on the bed studying him. Finally, he was able to settle down and face her.

"What the hell happened at lunch today?"

"John, I got an urgent call from Spencer."

"And Wesker just so happened to show up with William? He just so happened to give you a ride back here?"

"Look, I was just as confused as you were when they showed up," Ada answered, getting to her feet so she could be more level with John.

"Then why did you leave without me? I could've gave you a ride back!"

Ada sighed, "John, is this about lunch, or is this about Wesker?"

"I don't trust him."

"What? John, I think you are being overly dramatic here. Wesker is Wesker, and William…is William. That's just how it is."

"There is something murky about him, Ada. He's changed over the past few months."

"Everything will be fine. I'm sorry I just up and left you with William. Spencer needed me, and Wesker offered."

"So…there's nothing going on between you two?" John asked hesitantly.

Ada swallowed hard. She couldn't keep this up. She hated lying to John, but she had no other choice. She slowly shook her head at him. "No, John. I would never do such a thing to you."

Even though his eyes shone with uncertainty, he still seemed relieved. "Neither would I. I love you, Ada."

"I love you too, John," Ada whispered meekly.

John took her hands and kissed her. It seemed so awkward to Ada. She hoped John wouldn't notice. He didn't either. He gave her a quick hug and then headed for the door.

"I have to head down to the labs. I will see you later, babe."

When the door shut behind him, Ada collapsed onto her bed. She fought to keep back tears, and she struggled not to suffocate herself. She couldn't keep this up. Sure, she hadn't slept with Wesker yet, but Ada knew it wouldn't be long before Wesker would seduce her into bed. And when that happened…Ada knew things were going to get much worse.

* * *

**Poor Ada! She's so confused, lol. William and his crazy schemes! I hope all of you are enjoying this so far! I don't think I will be able to update this one as fast as Cat and Mouse, but I will definitely keep at it! Thanx! XD**


	6. Chapter 5: Strangers in the Night

**Chapter 5: Strangers in the Night**

Wesker sat down in his lounge chair in his living room. His house was silent in the late hours, except for the clicking of Night's nails on the hardwood floor. He took a moment to rub his forehead. His day at the precinct was long, but his night down underground with William and Annette proved to be longer. Annette was just as bad as Wesker when it came to jobs. Not only did she run the pharmacy, she helped them down in the underground lab, and also assisted them in the Arklay labs here and there.

This night proved to be troubling. There were many failures with the tests, and William became more and more restless. And, as much as he tried, he did not get that elusive epiphany he wanted. Epiphanies eluded both Wesker and Annette as well. As Wesker thought about it now, he realized they were all three distracted.

There was no telling what William was distracted with, but Wesker knew Annette had a long trip to one of the corporate offices in the next few days. As for Wesker, he grudgingly had to admit that it was Ada that was distracting him.

He felt something staring at him. Wesker glanced over. Night sat there in front of the lounge chair just studying him. He heard the Doberman let out a long, soft sigh, as if he was bored.

"Why don't you lay down and relax?" Wesker said, pointing the floor.

Night moved over to Wesker's feet and laid down, putting his chin on his paws. Wesker petted the dog for a long moment, lost in thoughts yet again. He eventually sighed, pulling off his sunglasses to toss them onto the nearby coffee table.

The doorbell suddenly went off. Night jumped to his paws and was barking. He darted to the front room. Wesker looked at the clock as he got to his feet. It read almost one in the morning. Who the hell could it be?

"Night," Wesker stated calmly. The Doberman became silent and stepped off to the side. He was still ready for whoever was at the door.

Wesker opened the front door to find William standing there. He had a duffle bag slung around one shoulder and his laptop bag on the other. He was holding a fluffy pillow, a small blanket, and a case of ordered files, all of which were crammed in his arms.

"Hey buddy! I was thinking we could have a wild sleepover party!" William greeted with a wide grin.

Wesker felt his eye twitch. "William, what do you want?"

William heaved a deep, depressing sigh. "I had a fight with Annette and she kicked me out of the house. Spencer won't let me work tonight, so I thought I could just rack out here. You don't mind, do you?"

"Yes, I do."

"But!"

Night barked at William. Wesker grumbled lowly, and reluctantly opened the door wide enough for his friend to squeeze through. William squealed in delight and ran into the house. He made himself at home within two minutes.

Wesker sat in silence in his lounge chair while William took over the whole couch. Night sat pompously at Wesker's side. The Doberman glared at William, but stayed quiet.

"What's wrong, Night? Am I taking precious time away from your master?" William snickered.

Night curled his lip. William only laughed. Wesker stroked his hand along Night's head and neck.

"Does Spencer know that you stole him as a pup?" Will asked.

"No."

"I wonder if you would be punished since it would be considered stealing property from him."

"I'm not too worried about it, Will. That was five years ago."

"I never thought of you much on pets. Why Night?"

"More importantly, why did Annette kick you out of the house?"

"Oh, you know me and my mouth. She wanted to set me straight," William replied, leaning back on the couch. "It will be all good tomorrow."

"With you two, there's no doubt," Wesker stated with a shrug.

Wesker then got to his feet. William watched him casually, yawning. He looked around the clean, almost luxurious home. "How do you keep your house so clean?"

"I'm never home. Come on Night. I will see you in the morning, William."

"Aw, c'mon! The night's still early!"

"Will, I have to be at the precinct at six, and you have to report to Marcus at seven. And since I know you only got two hours of sleep last night, you better just lay down there and rest."

"Glad to know you care," snorted William, an almost sly grin on his face.

"Go to sleep," Wesker growled, and stalked off with Night at his heels.

***

Wesker awoke to his cell phone going off. Night stirred on the floor as Wesker sat up. He looked at the ID, and saw that it was James Marcus that was calling him. It was almost four in the morning, and Wesker contemplated on whether he should answer it or not. Finally, he flipped it open and answered.

"Wesker."

"Albert, I'm glad you answered. I need to you get out here to the estate ASAP. An unknown number of men have attacked, and now they are inside the mansion. Spencer has the labs in lockdown, and that's where all the workers are. Even I'm down here."

"Isn't that Sergei's job?" Wesker asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Sergei doesn't have enough support to deal with them all. Besides Albert, we all know that you are just as good, if not better, than Sergei. Don't forget that it is your job to serve Lord Spencer."

"Fine. I will be there shortly," Wesker growled, and hung up.

Wesker got out of bed and dressed, recalling his conversation with Marcus. He loaded up a few firearms, moving around the bedroom silently and swiftly. Night jumped onto the bed, laying down on it to watch Wesker curiously.

Wesker found a pen and a piece of paper. He scribbled a note and walked over to the bed. He extended the piece of paper to the dog.

"Give this to William when he wakes up. You know where he's allowed to go and where he isn't. The last thing I need is for him to find my true plans for Umbrella."

Night snorted and Wesker sat the note down by the Doberman's paws. Night looked from the note up to his master, but gave no sign of actually moving from the bed. Wesker heaved a sigh and got his supplies. He was out the door in minutes, speeding for the city's limits in his BMW.

When he reached the Spencer estate, he put his guard up and got his handgun out. He entered the front doors slowly, scanning the main hall for any intruders. He looked all around him, the silence not at all comforting. Wesker didn't even know where to start. He had nothing to contact the others with, and he was sure Marcus would be of no use at this moment.

The door to the dining hall opened to his left. Wesker automatically tensed, aiming the M92F. He relaxed upon seeing Sergei. The Russian Colonel made his way over to Wesker. He had blood along his long coat and hands. The knife he carried was also gleaming with blood.

"It's about time you show up, comrade."

Sergei tossed a walky-talky, in which Wesker caught it with his free hand. Wesker hardly glanced at the device, and hooked it to his belt.

"What do you know, Sergei?" Wesker asked, looking around the main hall once again.

"There are four left. I killed two, and Ada killed one. Nicholai is over at the guesthouse with a few of my soldiers to keep watch there. He has reported it being clear so far."

"Who are they?"

The Colonel shrugged. "I don't ask questions, comrade. You know that. Maybe Ada will know."

Wesker snorted lowly. Sergei just cared about the killing. He had no care in the world who their enemy could be. Wesker hardly cared himself, but it was information they definitely needed to know.

"I have the west wing covered. Why don't you make yourself useful, and check the east wing?" Sergei asked, a scornful smile playing across his face.

"I'm guessing I should. Apparently, none of you can keep anything right while I'm gone. Over the years, I'm still more useful than you," Wesker retorted coldly.

He didn't wait for the silver haired Russian's comeback. He turned his back and headed for the east side. Just as he reached the doors leading into the blue art room, he heard Sergei chuckle.

"Happy hunting, comrade."

Wesker didn't answer him, just went through the doors. He remained fully alert, and started making his way slowly around the east side of the mansion. The walky-talky remained as silent as the building. The lights were so bright above him, that it made it impossible to see outside the windows into the darkness of early morning.

Wesker heard a door open ahead of him, in the back of the hallway he was in. He aimed his gun, waiting for the person to come around the corner. The person was trying to be quiet, but Wesker knew the exact steps from the types of creaks in the floor. He saw a man clad in what looked like guerrilla gear. Wesker saw he had a machine gun. Just as the intruder saw him, Wesker put a bullet through his head.

Wesker grumbled, knowing that he should have put a silencer on the gun. He moved over to the dead body. Blood seeped onto the floorboards, making a dark puddle. By the looks of his gear, the man was a mercenary.

Wesker could only gather that someone hired these men to come here. Whether it was to kill Spencer, or steal research, he did not know. Wesker stepped over the body and went on. He needed to find the other mercenaries, and hopefully get one to talk.

He entered into the hallway that led to Spencer's study room. He checked the lord's room, unsurprised it was completely locked down. Wesker was sure Spencer was somewhere safer, maybe down in the labs with Marcus. He decided to enter the hallway next to Spencer's room. He went through it, then up the stairs to the next one. There were many rooms lined throughout here, one being Ada's. Instead of taking the door to the right that would lead into the red hallway, Wesker decided to check the other rooms first.

He walked maybe three feet, before he heard the door to the red hallway open. Wesker immediately put himself to the wall, listening to the soft steps. He would wait for the intruder to come around the corner, and that's when Wesker would strike. If he could get one of the mercenaries to give in, he could get them to talk.

A gun came around the corner, aiming at his face. Wesker didn't hesitate, he grabbed the slender wrist and twisted it around. The gun went off, blasting a hole into the floor. Wesker was kicked hard with a fist to the side of the face, the attacker's free hand. Wesker kicked his leg around, tripping the mercenary. As she went down, she kicked her own legs out, causing Wesker to slip and fall to his knees.

They were quick to aim their guns at each other's faces. It was then that Wesker realized it wasn't an enemy at all; it was Ada. Ada caught her breath, and she lowered her gun. Wesker holstered his and got to his feet. He extended his hand in which she took it. After Wesker helped her to her feet, he wiped his bloody lip.

"You have quite the left hook," he stated.

She smiled weakly, rubbing her wrist. "Was that some martial arts you just used?"

"Yes, it comes in handy," he told her.

"I can tell," she sighed, and decided to check her gun. "I heard a gunshot from this way. Was that you?"

Wesker nodded. "I killed one of them. Do you know who they are?"

"I've killed two so far. The one I tried to get to talk spoke in a language I didn't understand."

"Do you know what language it was?"

"If I had to put my money on it, it was Farsi."

"Hmm." Wesker thought for a moment. The mercenary he killed looked American. These were definitely mercenaries if they were people from all over the world. The question was, who hired them to come here, and why were they here?

"That makes it only two left, correct?" Ada asked.

"Yes," Wesker answered, glancing at his wristwatch. It was almost 5:30 A.M. So much for being at the precinct on time.

"Sergei, what's your status?" Ada asked on her walky-talky.

They stood there a moment, watching each other and their surroundings, waiting for the Colonel to answer.

"I'm located on the second floor of the dining room. Have you found anymore intruders?"

"Yes, I've killed another. Wesker killed one. There are two left."

"Let's rendezvous in the main hall for a moment."

"Copy that."

Ada put the walky-talky on her hip and started back for the red hallway. Wesker watched her go, then decided he should follow her. They walked through the dim lit hallway side by side, the dark red walls giving off a relaxing glow. They stayed alert, however, with guns ready for anything.

They came out onto the second floor of the main hall. They saw Sergei already walking down the stairs. They followed on slowly, taking the stairs together in silence. Wesker then heard a door open behind him. He looked quickly over his shoulder, saw that the hidden door built into the painting of the wall was open and two mercenaries had their machine guns aimed.

Wesker grabbed Ada's arm and bolted, even though the female agent was already trying to shoot at them while he dragged her.

The a thunderous storm of bullets exploded in the room. Wesker felt bullets upon bullets pelting right by their skin, hitting the staircase, the floor, the walls. Sergei had already took shelter behind one of the main hall's pillars.

Wesker let go of Ada, and the two of them ran for their own pillars nearby. The mercenaries continued to shoot, filling the marble pillar with bullets. They had left their place upon the stairs to come down onto the floor. Wesker looked over at Ada. She waited for a moment before leaning her arm around and shooting at one. She got him in the shin before she had to take cover again. Wesker couldn't see Sergei from where he was, but he could hear the Russian cackling.

Sergei fired his own shots, but the mercenaries took cover. One got under the staircase, the other got behind a table, flipping it over for protection. Wesker waited for the one behind the staircase to show himself. As soon as he did, Wesker opened fire. The first two shots hit his knees, and Wesker decided that was enough.

The mercenary was screaming, dropping his gun to grab his knees. He had already collapsed to the ground. Ada and Sergei killed the other mercenary shortly after. The three of them moved over to the intruder. Ada kicked his gun away before he could reach for it.

"Sergei, why don't you take him and get him to talk? I know you are just dying to torture him," Wesker suggested coolly, watching as the man cried over the pain in his bloody knees.

"How kind of you, comrade. I will do just that. Why don't you two contact Lord Spencer and get everything settled then?"

Wesker glanced over at Ada. She nodded at him. They left Sergei alone with the mercenary. As they were leaving, they heard Sergei on their walky-talkies contacting Nicholai. Wesker noticed it was getting closer to six. He figured he should just get dressed here for the precinct and then head straight there.

***

Wesker was finally ready to leave to go to the precinct. Ada let him get dressed in her room while she left to go deal with Spencer. Just as he got out of her bathroom, she returned looking ever so tired. Wesker slid on his shades and greeted her.

"Well, everything is settled now. The bodies were gathered, and Sergei has the remaining one in custody. Spencer is going to heighten security for awhile until we know what's going on."

"Exactly why were we the only ones dealing with this? I know he has more agents than just you."

"Yeah, they got locked down in the labs during the attack. I was asleep, so I was automatically volunteered."

"You look tired. You should go back to sleep," Wesker told her.

"If only I could," she sighed. She looked from her bed back over to Wesker. "I'm sorry you were dragged into this. I know you don't get enough sleep as it is."

"It happens," Wesker replied, stroking her cheek for a moment.

Wesker figured he should be leaving now. He slipped past her. There was no telling when John would show up, not that he cared if he did. Ada decided to walk with him to his car. They talked some on their way, in which Wesker decided to ask about John.

"Where is John?"

"He's at his sister's. He will be here later."

"Why don't you live with him?"

Ada smiled, like she was amused. "It's easier if I just stay here near Spencer."

They stopped beside his car. Ada was then paged. She heaved a sigh, glancing at the pager while Wesker unlocked his car.

"It's Spencer. You have a good day at the precinct. I will let you know when I find out more information on the mercenary."

"Thanks," Wesker said, nodding. "I'll see you later."

Wesker started up the BMW and headed for Raccoon City. His watch read just a few minutes after six in the morning, but it would take him awhile to get back into town.

Wesker was surprised that he didn't get a call from Irons or his team that he was late. It wasn't until he was a block away that he got a call from Barry.

"Wesker."

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you what Irons is doing, but that isn't the point of my call. Only Brad, Kenneth, and I are here. Joseph is off of course. Chris and Jill never showed up and I can't get a hold of them."

"Alright. I'll try their houses. I'll be there soon," Wesker replied and hung up. He passed the precinct and started for Chris's house.

Wesker found it odd that both Chris and Jill never showed up. It was common for Jill to be late, but only by a few minutes. Wesker wondered if he would find them in bed together when he reached Redfield's house.

His cell phone started ringing again. He checked the ID. It was William calling. He heaved a sigh and answered it. "What?"

"Sorry, I woke up late. I'll explain myself to Marcus later. Where's the coffee?"

"William, how many times are you at my house, and you still don't know where the coffee is?" Wesker grumbled, shifting gears and turning down Chris's street.

"Oh! I found it! Must've just slipped my mind! I just woke up, you know! Thanks for the note by the way! Night gave it to me…reluctantly. I had to fight him for it."

"I'm glad you liked it. Now get dressed and get out of my house."

"Fine! I see how you are, Albert!"

"I'll see you tonight," Wesker heaved.

"Alright!"

Wesker hung up just as he parked in front of Chris's house. He got out of his BMW and walked up the steps onto the front porch. Masking a smirk from the thoughts of what he could find in here, he rang the doorbell.

The door opened. Wesker was surprised. A woman answered the door, but it wasn't Jill. Was Chris a player? Wesker snorted and tossed that thought into the garbage. The girl was young with brown hair kept up in a messy ponytail. Her blue-grey eyes beheld him with caution.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Who are you?" Wesker asked, pulling his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose to get a better look.

"Excuse me?" she remarked.

"Where's Chris? He's late."

She gave no sign of letting him in the house. Finally, Chris's voice came through. He popped up behind the young woman with crazy, wet hair and a foamy mouth. He was in the process of brushing his teeth.

"Oh! Claire! This is Captain Wesker! Let him in!"

Claire reluctantly complied. Wesker entered Chris's house. They went into the living room where Claire kept her eye on him. Chris disappeared long enough to wash his mouth out, then he was back in the living room putting on his boots. He looked almost completely ready for work.

"I'm sorry, Wesker. This is my little sister, Claire. I had to go pick her up last night. I had a late start this morning. Claire, this is my boss, Wesker."

"Charmed," Wesker purred, but Claire only gave him a tiny smile and barely noticeable nod of her head.

"Claire, will you be okay by yourself for the day?"

"Chris, I'm not six. I'll be fine," Claire laughed.

"You don't happen to know why Jill is late, do you? She never showed up either," Wesker stated.

"Really?" Chris asked, startled.

"I'll just make a quick stop by her house."

"No, that's alright, Wesker. I'll go check on her. You go on ahead to work. I'll be right behind you."

Wesker stifled his smirk, and nodded at Redfield. He gave one last look to Claire before leaving the house back to his car. He drove back to the precinct to start a long, tiring day.

* * *

**Ummmmmmmm......I didn't post a chapter in Cat and Mouse!!!!! Eeeek! No, I'm just having trouble with the chapter, lol. Hopefully soon, I will make it perfect then I will post it. For now, I hope this chapter of Dark Evenings will suffice for now! It has been a long, hectic week, lol! Oh, yeah, and I changed the story...again. Instead of Marcus getting assassinated in 1988, I made it where he is going to live until about a year before the Mansion Incident. It was the only way to get the whole story for Ada and Wesker to work, considering everything else I have done, lol! Again, sorry about the delayed chapter of Cat and Mouse! Please enjoy this chapter, I worked hard to get it right! ^_^**

* * *


	7. Chapter 6: No Answers

**Chapter 6: No Answers**

Wesker entered the underground laboratory later than he anticipated. He made his way through the hallways, passing other scientists to head for William's lab. He checked his wristwatch again just out of spite. He stayed late at the precinct to catch up on some paperwork there, only for Irons to hold him up with needless talk. He left Enrico and the rest of Bravo team there to go home. He changed clothing only to turn around and come back down here.

As soon as he entered Will's lab, he found his partner missing in action. A quick sweep of the laboratory told him that William hadn't even showed up yet. It was still clean, with no coffee cups or paper clutter. The doors slid open behind him, and he turned to greet the person. Wesker was expecting William, who sometimes ran late. Instead, he saw it was Annette.

She gave him a mildly confused look, as if she was surprised to see him here. She had a cup of coffee in one hand, and a file in the other. After a moment, she slightly smiled and shook her head.

"I knew I should've called you. William apparently forgot to call you and say he had to go to the mansion tonight. Spencer wants him looking after the cellular construction for the prototype Tyrant base."

"So I presume it is only you and me tonight?" Wesker asked, sighing. The one day Wesker left the precinct late, letting William go ahead without picking him up to come here, and William up and leaves without a word. Typical Will.

Annette shook her head, taking a swig of her coffee. "Oh, no. You don't get to be so lucky. Spencer wants you there as well. Though, if I remember correctly, he wants you to work with Sergei."

"And Marcus?"

"Training Facility."

Wesker could already tell that his long night was going to turn into an even longer night. He pulled out his keys, the metal jingling against one another. He headed past Annette for the exit.

"You have a good night, Annette."

"You too."

Wesker just knew he was going to pop William one when he got to the estate. There was so little amount of time in a day, and Wesker couldn't afford to be running around. He wasn't particularly thrilled about working with Sergei. On a better note, at least he would have a chance to see Ada.

***

Wesker spotted William as soon as he entered the main hall of the Spencer estate. There were workers cleaning up the mess from last night, but Wesker hardly noticed them. William was talking with Ada while they watched the workers do cleanup. Ada was the first to glance over, having heard him close one of the front doors. She smiled at him, her arms crossed casually. William followed her gaze. As soon as his bright eyes fell on Wesker, his smile faded.

"Oh, crap…I'm in trouble," he mumbled.

"Indeed you are, Will," Wesker stated, setting down the briefcase he had in his hand.

"Okay, look! You were late, so I went ahead and went to the Pharmacy without you. We compromised on that, right? Okay, and then Marcus calls me up and is like_-"William, you need to come to the estate for new duties!" _Well, you know I had no choice, so then I had to turn around, and I had to call Annette and tell her the new plans. I'm so sorry! I was totally going to call you, but-"

"Are you done yet?" Wesker heaved.

Ada was stifling a smile. William's ramble and impersonation of Marcus was amusing enough, but Wesker had work to do.

"How are you, Ada?"

"Good. Thank you."

William was rubbing the back of his head, this poor, uneasy smile on his handsome face. "I'm sorry you have to work with Sergei!"

"Don't push your luck. Now why aren't you working?"

"I took a break, thank you very much. And I was having this lovely chat with Ada, and you just messed it all up!"

"Hmm," was all that came from Wesker's lips as he picked the briefcase back up. He shoved it into William's arms. "Since it is on the way, can you toss that into our lab?"

William gave him a mild glare, and then sighed. "Fine. I better get going anyways. I will see you later then. You have a good evening, Ada!"

William left through the west door. Ada and Wesker watched him go until the door closed behind him. The workers continued to clean up. There were also some fixing bullet holes in the floor and walls. Even the railings at the bottom of the stairs were getting replaced.

Wesker turned to Ada. "He wasn't annoying you, was he?"

"William? Oh, no. He was fine. He is very good company."

"Yes he is. You don't happen to know where Sergei is, do you?" Wesker asked, smirking softly.

"Actually, I do, considering I've been working with him all day," she answered, her eyes never leaving him.

If that was the case, Wesker found his night finally getting a little better. Wesker walked with Ada upstairs. They headed along the western area of the second floor into the red hallway. They took the door that ended them in the attic.

Sergei was in here, standing before the shackled mercenary who was on his knees. Wesker was surprised to see Sergei alone. Usually he had some of his soldiers with him, especially Nicholai. The Russian Colonel smiled upon seeing them.

"Ah, Comrade Wesker. Do you care to translate for me? This man speaks German and I have no idea what he is saying. It has been like this all day."

"And what exactly have you been doing to him in the meantime?" Wesker inquired, walking over with Ada at his side.

"Nothing much I assure you," Sergei purred smugly. "Though I did get bored a couple of times."

Wesker glanced at Ada just in time to see her roll her eyes. The mercenary was in bad shape. Sergei beat him down all day, and now there was a good chance that the answers were no longer on the soldier's lips.

Wesker stepped up to take Sergei's place in front of the prisoner. The man was bruised and tired, so kept his eyes to the dusty, wooden floor. Wesker kept just out of reach of him. He watched the Colonel back up to stand beside Ada. He crossed his arms, and the snide smile on his lips only annoyed Wesker. Ada, however, beheld him with an almost cautious gaze, like she was wondering exactly what he could be up to. Wesker faced the prisoner once again, and this time, he started interrogating him in German.

***

The darkness of the night was almost soothing to Wesker. He leaned on the railing, looking out into the shadowy Arklay Forest. The stars were bright up above, with only minor clouds that were thin sheets of smoky blue. He kept his sunglasses inside his jacket pocket. He could hear the faint songs of nightlife, but nothing beat the smell of late spring.

The German mercenary told him mostly unknown answers. Wesker wrote his report and sent it to Spencer. He knew it wouldn't be long before the lord would want to speak to him, demanding to know more answers. All Wesker could gather from the prisoner was that they were hired to assassinate Lord Spencer, and steal all the research that was born here at the Arklay Research Facility. The closest Wesker could get to a 'who' was a Mr. Smith. Considering there was an endless list of the last name 'Smith', Wesker wouldn't be able to find a lead very easily. There was numerous competition with Umbrella, and so Lord Spencer had many enemies, even ones he didn't know about.

Wesker found it odd that the mercenary kept the secrets. Most mercenaries would have told the whole story, only caring for their lives when it came down to it. They never held loyalty to anyone. Why would this mercenary be any different?

He heard the door to the second floor balcony open behind him. He was unsurprised to see that it was Ada. She slowly walked over to him, the moonlight dancing on her skin. Wesker watched her with each step, his lips twitching ever so slightly.

"Sergei killed the mercenary. He's disposing the body as we speak," Ada stated seriously, leaning her hip against the railing to face him.

"Why am I not surprised? I told him to keep him alive."

"We lost the answers we needed from him. Now we have no clue," Ada sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her eyebrow. Wesker could tell she had the same headache that he had.

"Unless we want to interrogate every single Mr. Smith out there."

That made her smile. She looked up at him, shaking her head. "No way. We would never get it done."

Wesker eased a small smirk, looking back up to the stars. "Then I guess Lord Spencer will just have to tighten security and sleep with one eye open for now."

"Easier said than done," Ada murmured, also looking to the stars.

They enjoyed this for maybe a few minutes, before the door opened behind them. Wesker and Ada turned around at the same time to see who it was. They were relieved to see William instead of Sergei or Spencer.

William dragged his feet across the balcony towards them, yawning and rubbing his eyes like he had just woken up. He was grumbling something incoherent, and came to rest as a slump on the railing.

"Are you alright, William?" Ada asked.

"I'm about to freaking kill some people," he growled. He pulled himself up so he could look up at them. "I'm surrounded by idiots down there and it's horrible. No wonder the prototype Tyrant is behind schedule! What the hell did I do to Marcus to deserve this?"

Ada raised her eyebrows slightly, glancing over at Wesker whose expression didn't change at all. William looked over the railing to see the shadowed ground two stories below. He yawned again, but this time he stretched it into an aggravated growl.

"I need coffee."

"You need sleep, Will," Wesker sighed, leaning against the railing again.

"I do not. I'm fine." William then yawned again.

"That's the third yawn in not even two minutes, William. You need sleep."

William eased this tired smirk, and he winked at Ada. "See? He's not really a cold bastard all the time. You have to pay attention in order to realize when he's actually caring."

Ada stifled a smile, only for Wesker to clear his throat. "William."

William held up his hands. "Alright, buddy. Okay."

Just as another yawn was coming out of William's mouth, the door to the balcony opened again. Lord Spencer, who had Dr. Marcus with him, studied the three of them sharply while leaning on his cane. Marcus looked no better.

"What is this? A party?" Spencer growled. "William, because you were able to fix a whole month's failure in just a few hours, you have the pleasure of going home."

"Yes!"

"Ada, Albert, I need to see you both in my study in half in hour. Don't be late."

The lord then turned around and left. Marcus locked eyes with Albert for a moment. Then the wise scientist dipped his head and slipped out of the balcony to follow Spencer.

"Wow, for once you are excited to go home, Will," Ada stated.

"I know. I want away from those losers…and I want my bed…very bad." William seemed to dream about his cozy bed for a moment, then he refocused upon his partner and the beautiful agent. "You two sound like you are in trouble."

"Only because of Sergei," Ada snorted.

"I'm sure we will tell you all about it tomorrow, Will. Good night."

"Geez, you don't have to be pushy about it." William turned and headed for the door. "You two have a wonderful night!"

"Bye, William," Ada softly laughed. Wesker didn't say anything, just watched his partner leave.

"Lord Spencer wants more answers that we cannot give him."

Ada nodded. "I guess we will have to improvise."

"I guess we will have to. We aren't privy to any other answers," Wesker snorted.

"Then let's go," Ada replied, walking with compelling grace for the balcony doors. As she walked with a slight sway, she glanced back at him with a cute smile. Wesker smirked, and, after sliding on his sunglasses, he followed her into the mansion.

***

"Albert, I am so disappointed. You are one of my best interrogators, and these were all the answers you were able to get? There is nothing here we can use to find out who did this. Mr. Smith tells us nothing!"

"Then I suggest you better demand some answers from your precious Colonel. There is no use getting answers out of a man that has already been broken," Wesker retorted coldly while standing in front of the lord's desk. Ada stood to his left, also staring at Lord Spencer.

Spencer glared up at Wesker, in which he was unfazed. Wesker wasn't afraid of Spencer, nor did he care about how he addressed the lord or what he did. Spencer needed Wesker, and so Wesker played it to his advantage.

Before Spencer could snap something, Ada was there to defend Wesker. "I worked with Sergei all day before Wesker got here. Sergei repeatedly tortured the prisoner, even though he couldn't understand his words. So, by the time Wesker got here to interrogate him, most of the legit answers were gone from the mercenary."

Spencer heaved a sigh, rubbing his temples in a stressed motion. Wesker knew exactly how easy it would be to kill Spencer right now. However, as perfect as it seemed, it would be a mistake. Wesker still had many other things to fulfill before he could kill Lord Spencer.

"Okay, I understand now, but we are back to square one. I'm tightening security around here, and from now on, everyone will need to be careful. All scientists are to change their passwords, and to double check security before they leave. I'm going to be bringing in some more of Colonel Vladimir's men just in case. Whoever is behind this is behind letting the dogs loose. I'm sure of it. " There was a long moment of silence as the old man was looking down on his desk. Papers were cluttered everywhere, and it seemed to take him awhile before he focused back on Ada and Wesker. "On a further note, from now on, you two are to work together in these types of situations. That is all."

Wesker found it odd that Spencer wanted them to work together. He knew the risk that was between Ada and Wesker, a risk that the lord wanted to avoid. Now he was making them work together. Wesker glanced over at Ada, and noticed that she was openly surprised.

"I said that is all. Albert, you can go home for the night. Don't forget that tomorrow is your day off. I don't want to see you here, and I don't want to see you in the underground lab. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Lord Spencer," Wesker snorted, turning and walking over to the door. He turned the knob and opened the heavy oak door. "I know what a day off is. I'm not like William."

Lord Spencer lightly chuckled. "Sometimes you are. Oh, and you can thank your mentor for the day off. It was his idea."

"How courteous of him," Wesker stated, feigning a smile. He gave one last look to Ada, who caught his eyes. "Good night."

He started for the exit of the estate, getting his keys out and glancing at his watch. It read a little after ten o'clock. Wesker was getting off early. He had to be at the precinct at six in the morning, and after that shift, he had no idea what he was going to do. To have no answers to this stressful situation made Wesker want to search for some. There were many things that made no sense, but Wesker was sure this was only the beginning. It was going to be a long summer.

***

Ada didn't know how long she stood before Lord Spencer in silence after Wesker left. Spencer watched her for awhile, and then the old man clasped his hands together.

"Ada, you may go as well. Or do you have something on your mind?"

"Yes, why are you making us partners? You are always complaining how you think he is distracting me. If you are worried about the two of us getting distracted with one another, with an affair or whatever, then why the hell did you put us together?"

"Good question. You two work great together. And, as far as distraction goes, I really don't care as long as it doesn't get in the way of your work. I have no care in the world what you two do on your personal time."

Ada clenched her jaw. She nodded at her boss. She then left to go to her room. As she was walking that way, she couldn't help but to growl out of frustration. It was going to be hard to work with Wesker. John would not like it at all, and Ada knew it wasn't going to help her situation. She was trying to suppress her feelings for Albert Wesker. This was only going to make it harder for her to do just that.

* * *

**Hmm, not much going in that chapter, lol! Sorry bout that, but I promise it will get better! Now Ada and Wesker are partners when it comes to certain situations. Wonder how that will work out, hehehe...John might be a little jealous, I don't know. Wesker is liking it I'm sure, but Ada knows exactly what is going to happen! Sorry for the lateness, this last week was really, really, really hectic! Jeans, jeans, jeans, birthdays, birthdays, jeans, dogs, summer heat, jeans, family, friends, jeans....oh ya and jeans! I'm picking so many jeans at work, that I'm dreaming about it, lol! Anyways, hope all of you enjoy the chapter! XD**


	8. Chapter 7: Don't Bet On It

**Chapter 7: Don't Bet On It**

Wesker was enjoying the quiet of the morning. Joseph and Jill were off today, and so it was good that Wesker didn't have to baby-sit Frost with all of his antics. Chris didn't have to be bored with Jill gone because his close buddy, Forest Speyer, was pulling a double today. If Wesker remembered correctly, Kenneth and Edward were off for Bravo Team tonight.

Bravo Team only had five officers including Enrico, compared to Alpha's six. It made Wesker cringe, for it reminded him that he would have to interview people for a new officer in Bravo. He was surprised that Enrico hadn't bugged him about it yet.

"Captain?"

Wesker looked over at Barry, his thoughts vanishing. The burly family man stood patiently in front of Wesker's desk, waiting for permission to speak.

Wesker tossed his sunglasses onto his desk, leaning back in his chair to stretch. He yawned for a moment, then laced his fingers on the back of his head. "Yes, Barry?"

"I got the new modifications sheet in from Kendo. He says he has a new customization for the M92F that we may want to check out."

Wesker saw Chris shoot a glance over as soon as he heard Kendo. Wesker took the paper from Barry and started to go over it. Robert Kendo owned the finest gun shop in Raccoon City, and did all the modifications for the standard issues of the R.P.D, including S.T.A.R.S. Wesker customized his own weapons, but he knew Kendo well enough to know that all of his work was the finest. The M92F handgun was their newest standard. About half a year ago, they were using Glock 17s as their standard issues. Wesker would rather have the M92F any day.

"This is quite interesting," Wesker stated, nodding at the idea. Kendo was calling the new modifications 'Samurai Edge'. He held the paper out, not for Barry to take, but for Chris. "Here you go, Chris. I know you are dying to see it."

Chris smirked and jumped out of his seat. He strode over to Wesker's desk and took the sheet. Wesker looked over at Barry. The red bearded man was smiling at Chris, slightly shaking his head.

"Tell Kendo I will do the paperwork. It will be nice to have the new modifications for the teams."

Barry nodded, and went back over to his desk. Barry and Robert Kendo were close buddies. They not only grew up together, but they were in the same military platoon back in the day.

"Aw, Wesker! We should have another marksman contest! It would be the perfect opportunity to test out these babies!" Forest exclaimed after reading Kendo's sheet.

"Why? So Chris can kick your ass again?"

Forest was just as good at shooting as Chris was. However, Wesker noticed that Chris seemed to have this gift with guns and with luck. Chris was unmatched at the gun range. And that was the reason Wesker had him as Point Man.

Chris was snickering at Wesker's remark. Forest slugged him playfully in the arm. Chris handed Kendo's sheet over to Brad, who took it with an interest too. Wesker was relieved to notice it was almost lunch time.

"It's like we are getting an early Christmas present!" Forest laughed.

Wesker went back to doing paperwork. He figured he should let Barry and Chris go first. While Wesker was on his lunch break, he would need to put Barry in charge.

***

"I cannot believe that Spencer made you two partners!" William laughed, flipping through the Raccoon Times newspaper.

Wesker and William sat outside in the patio of one of the fancier cafés. And though Wesker didn't show it as vividly as William, he was just as surprised by Spencer's decision. It made him wonder. What exactly was Spencer up to? He didn't want Ada to get distracted with anything, especially Wesker himself.

"Just think…now it will be easier to lie to John," William snickered. "Ada can say that she has to hang out with you because you two are partners."

"You are entirely too amused by this, Will."

"Am I?" William chortled, flipping to another page. He started to scan through it. "Hmm…the Lions won the game."

"Ada was just as surprised. So…that means Spencer made the decision on his own. He didn't even discuss it with her," Wesker said, taking a drink of his water. He was finished with his food, and so now the two of them were just talking.

"You make it sound as if you don't want to work with her," William heaved, turning some more pages. He was still picking at his fries on his plate as well. "Aw! They have pug puppies for sell!"

"It's not that. I just find it unusual that Spencer is making us work together when he has already complained to Ada how I distract her."

"Why do you care?" William asked, folding the newspaper and putting it on the table. "Well…you are distracting. You distract me all the time."

Wesker glared at William. "Ditto."

"Look," sighed William, rubbing his hair. "Just talk to Ada about it. Maybe she knows a little bit more. I mean, she probably talked to him after you left."

"True."

"You have all the free time tonight, so just do it!" William exclaimed. He then noticed his water was empty. Only the melting ice remained in his cup. He slightly smiled and glanced up at Wesker.

Wesker glared at him through his shades. "Don't even."

William put the straw in his mouth and started to slurp up the tiny portions of liquid. Wesker cringed at the sound, and William laughed.

"Sorry. I had to do it. You aren't coming in tonight, and I just had to annoy you for a moment. I'm going to be so bored," William chuckled as he got up. He tossed some tip money on the table, and the two men started walking for their cars.

"You won't be that bored," sighed Wesker. "You will have Annette, will you not?"

William heaved a sigh. "Yeah, but she's on her period. I'm trying to stay clear of her right now."

Wesker cleared his throat. "Thanks for telling me."

"You're very welcome. It's a fair warning."

"I will make a note of it," Wesker replied, shaking his head.

William and Wesker were now at their vehicles. The black BMW and the silver Lexus both shone in the sun with clean beauty. Wesker glanced at his wristwatch, and saw it was about time to be heading back to the police department.

"You should totally take Ada out tonight. Y'know, because you are actually off for once."

"Look who's talking. When was your last day off, William?"

William puckered his lips for a moment, and then he smiled almost sheepishly at Wesker. "Like…uhh…ummm…"

"My point exactly," snorted Wesker.

"Hey! Don't be changing the subject! We were on Ada! Don't turn this around on me! Take her out! Knock John out, and stuff him in a locker if you have to!"

"If I'm going to knock John out, I might as well kill him."

William raised an eyebrow. "Yeah…that too, I guess. Just make sure Ada doesn't find out."

"I will see you later. Good luck with Annette tonight."

"Thanks a lot."

***

The S.T.A.R.S office was empty when Wesker returned. He figured they got a call for something. Wesker tossed his sunglasses and keys onto his desk, only for the office door to open behind him. Wesker was expecting Irons, but found it was only Chris coming back with a bottle of soda.

"Oh, hey Wesker."

"What happened to Barry and Chickenheart?"

Chris gave this half-hearted smile, and looked away only to sit down at his desk. He cleared his throat. "Uh, they went off to deal with an explosion at a gas station."

Wesker leaned on his desk, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "And why aren't you with them, exactly?"

Chris rubbed the back of his neck, glancing up at his captain. "I uh…sorta got in trouble with the Chief…again."

Wesker folded his arms, slightly shaking his head. He smiled though, so that eased Chris somewhat. "What did you do this time?"

"I don't know! You know how it is!" Chris grumbled, throwing his arms up. "That fat bastard hates my guts for some reason. Now I'm stuck filing these stupid police reports."

"Chris, how many times do I have to tell you that he isn't your superior? He has no right. What's wrong? You have a bad history of causing trouble with people like him, so why haven't you? He can't fire you."

Chris heaved a sigh. "Only because I know he's your supervisor, and I hold enough respect for you not to cause you trouble with him."

Wesker walked over to the fax machine, picking up all the papers that were resting on its slide. "That's sweet of you, Chris, but Irons isn't my supervisor. I don't think you have to worry about that."

Chris slightly rolled his eyes, but he smiled nonetheless. "Maybe so, but will that still stop him from going ape shit on you anyways?"

Wesker chuckled softly. He put the small stack of papers down on the center of his desk for later. By this time, the office door opened again, and Wesker saw Joseph Frost stroll right on in.

"Hi, Captain!"

"Frost, it's your day off. How am I suppose to enjoy this very good day if you just show up anyways?"

"Well, then you are going to love my question!" Joseph laughed, coming over to the captain's desk. "Can I please take a vacation day Friday?"

Wesker sighed, sitting down in his chair and kicking back in it. "You know you are suppose to tell me a week before."

Joseph's face fell, and he glanced over at Chris, who only shrugged at his comrade. Joseph turned back to the Captain, his persistence building. "But you let Chris take a vacation day without telling you a week before hand one time! I remember!"

"That's because I like Chris more than you," Wesker replied, yawning and stretching.

"That's not fair, Captain!"

"Why do you need the day off?"

"I need to make a trip to go see my sister. She just had her baby boy, and I want to go see them. She lives all the way in Springs, so I just wanted to make a day of it."

Wesker rolled his shoulders, feeling all the tension in his back and neck. He looked over at Chris, who was now working on those stupid police reports for Irons. Wesker slightly glared at Redfield. He then smiled.

"If you take those police reports back to Irons for me, I will give you Friday off."

"Really?!"

"Just do it, Frost."

"Thank you so much, Captain Wesker!" Frost exclaimed, running over to Chris's desk. He gathered all the police reports. Chris watched him do it, uncertain whether to stop him or not. "I will see you guys tomorrow!"

He was out the doors in seconds. It took Wesker a moment of silence to finally relax again. Joseph was like a little kid sometimes. Wesker caught Chris staring at him from his desk.

"What?"

"You are so mean. You know that Irons is going to blow up on him," Chris sighed. "Besides, I was suppose to finish those!"

Wesker snorted. "Frost is so thrilled right now, I'm sure Irons won't faze him. Besides, I didn't order you to do police reports, did I?"

"No."

"Okay then."

Chris was as stubborn as a mule, but in the long run that was good. Wesker put his boots up on his desk to take a moment to think. He had no idea what he was going to do after work. It became such a habit to go to the estate or the underground, that Wesker always found it hard to think of anything else. His best bet would be to go to the Spencer estate and talk to Ada. Spencer would get on to him for showing up there, but Wesker hardly cared. Wesker wouldn't be working, he would be enjoying Ada.

***

Wesker pulled up into his driveway after finally escaping the precinct for the day. He got out of his car with his things, shutting the car door and walking up the path to the porch. Night greeted him at the front door. Wesker petted the Doberman, and let them both inside the house.

Wesker busied himself with get things situated before going off and leaving for the estate. He walked into the kitchen, only for him to hear the front door open. Night went crazy with barking. Wesker immediately got his gun out, but then lowered it when he heard William's cry of pain.

He walked back into the living room. William was on the floor, his shoe completely ripped off along with his sock. Night was now licking William all over the face. William got to his feet. He went to reach for his shoe, but the Doberman snatched it and took off.

"Night!" William yelled.

"You know better then to walk into this house without knocking," Wesker stated, shaking his head.

"Yeah, he bit my ankle and knocked me down! And then he starts licking my face…what's up with that?! I think Night just does it on purpose to torture me." William slid his torn sock back onto his foot.

Night was tearing his shoe to pieces over by the couch. "Night! That shoe was expensive!"

"You are cleaning that up," Wesker said, and went back into the kitchen.

"I have only one shoe!"

"What are you doing here, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be underground?"

"Uh…yeah, about that…"

"What did you do?" Wesker growled.

"Oh, nothing. The important thing is that I'm free for the night! Since we are both off together on the same night in a month, we should hang out!"

"I'm suppose to be taking Ada out tonight, remember?"

"Oh, yeah…well, I won't distract you two or anything."

Something wet hit William's hand. He looked down, noticing Night offering the remains of his shoe. It was soaked with slobber, and there was hardly anything left. William glared at the Doberman and took the remains from the dog's mouth.

"Thanks a lot, Night."

"What do you mean, you won't distract us? You are always distracting. You give me a headache every day," Wesker snorted.

"Hey now, you don't have to be grumpy about it."

"Alright, I will make you a deal. Let's go to the estate and talk to Ada."

William waited for a moment. "And?"

"Are you going to go or not?"

"How is that a deal?"

Wesker smiled, petting Night. "What's wrong, Will?"

"Oh, okay. I get it. You want to talk to Ada and try and get her to say yes to going out without me. Well, then, you know what, pal? I will charm her into wanting me to come along."

"Charm?"

"I'm very charming," William stated with a nod.

"Indeed, you are. Let's go."

***

The black BMW and silver Lexus parked in the lot, and Wesker and William got out. They walked together to the estate, the humidity bringing the bugs out. The forest was alive with the sounds of katydids and cicadas. As the sun started to set, it would only get louder.

They walked into the main hall. Ada's room was upstairs in the east part of the mansion. They didn't even reach the stairs before they were stopped by their mentor. Dr. Marcus had entered the main hall from the dining room.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked. His tone wasn't stern like a parents, but rather curious.

"Uh…um, well we…uh.."

"We came to get some supplies," Wesker answered, glancing over at William.

"Upstairs?" Marcus inquired.

"Do they have to be in the labs?" William asked.

"Will, why are you wearing only one shoe?"

"Uh…because Wesker's dog ate it."

"I better not see you two working. You have fun now," Marcus sighed, slightly smiling and heading for the door on the east side of the main hall.

William slapped Wesker, as if they had just triumphed over something, and then he was running up the stairs. Wesker shook his head and followed his partner.

As they were rounding the corner to Ada's room, the almost bumped into John. John gave them a puzzled look. The handsome, young scientist seemed wary of them as well.

"Aren't you two supposed to be off?" he asked.

"Well, that's none of your business now, is it John?" Wesker retorted, his sunglasses hiding his eyes quite well in the dim hallway.

"No, it's not," John replied, trying to keep his tone calm. "But in my position, I still have to ask."

"Don't worry about it, John. William and I are in a higher position than you," Wesker snorted, and pushed pass him.

William followed Wesker. John didn't pursue them, just left going his own way. William laughed a little.

"You are such a jerk sometimes," he said.

"What do you think she sees in him?" Wesker asked.

"I have no idea. Wait…are you jealous?"

"No."

"Yes, you are."

"How could I possibly be jealous of him?"

"Because he has Ada, and you don't," Will snorted.

Wesker eased a smirk. "Not for long."

They reached Ada's room. Before Wesker could do anything, William reached out and knocked on her door. Wesker glared at him. His partner only shrugged. There was a moment, and Ada answered the door. She was wearing pants, but only had a bra on. She gave them an odd look, as if surprised to see them.

"Wow," William mumbled.

"Okay, should I be worried?" Ada asked, smiling. She left the door open and went back into her room.

Wesker shoved William into her room, and shut the door behind them. Ada quickly slipped on a shirt. The female agent watched them with curiosity.

"How can I help you two?"

"Aw, c'mon, Ada! We came to see if you wanted to go out with us!" William exclaimed.

Wesker glared at him through his sunglasses. Ada raised an eyebrow, but a smile came upon her lips anyway.

"Go out where, exactly?"

"Yeah, where exactly?" William echoed, looking at Wesker.

"Well, by all means, Will, you should decide. You invited yourself anyways."

"Aw, William. Did you invite yourself? I guess that means it was supposed to only be Wesker and me?"

"Yeah."

"Funny how I didn't know about this," Ada sighed.

"It was a surprise!" William laughed.

"Alright then, William. Where do you want to go?" Ada asked.

"Uh, I don't know. How about you, Ada?"

"Let's not stand here all night," Wesker stated.

"Oh! How 'bout the horse races?!"

"Didn't Annette ban you from betting?" Wesker chuckled.

"Well, she doesn't have to know this time!"

"William, why are you wearing only one shoe?" Ada asked, laughing.

"Wesker's dog ate the other one."

"Wesker has a dog?"

"Okay, I guess we are going to the horse races then?" Wesker heaved.

"Sounds good to me," Ada replied, smiling up at Wesker.

"Then let's go! I'm betting on Red Thunder again!"

* * *

**It's hard to get William and Wesker to mingle the way I make them do...sigh...Geez, this chapter was much harder than I thought it was going to be. It turned out pretty good, so I hope all you enjoyed it! Horse races and Wesker? Is that even a certain mix? Though I can see William as a better, lol! Anyways, I'm glad I was able to update this one this week. The chapters are starting to get a little longer! Thanks! XD**


	9. Chapter 8: Watching Trouble

**Chapter 8: Watching Trouble**

The quiet laboratory below the Spencer estate was empty except for Wesker. Marcus had left earlier, probably to head over to the Training Facility. William was running around here somewhere, and Wesker hardly cared what he was up to. At the moment Wesker was sitting at his desk, his current work momentarily put off so he could scan through one of John's documents that he had successfully stolen. The soft hum of the computers and incubators was the only soft noise. Within a few minutes, however, the automatic doors to their lab slid open. Wesker didn't even look up from John's papers, hearing William's humming was distinction enough.

There was a loud slap that hit the tiled floor, and Wesker looked over. William had just dropped a large cardboard box full of old documents and journals. The box itself was covered in dust and falling apart, and William's white lab coat was dusty from carrying it.

Wesker took a second to decide whether the box was worth his time, and then he snorted. He went back to reading John's document, where he was getting much more amusement.

"Is that John's?" William asked.

"Why?"

"It is! You are just egging to find something to humiliate him with, aren't you?"

"And what do you have here? You seem quite pleased to have carried it in here," Wesker retorted, tossing John's document to the side. He looked up at his partner through his shades.

"I am! This box has many dumped files of failed experiments!"

"And what good does that do us? Where did you get it exactly?" Wesker asked, getting to his feet. He looked into the box, noticing that some of the paperwork was older than expected. He lightly kicked the cardboard with his boot, and a puff of dust flew up.

"I uh…borrowed it from Spencer's old file room."

"You stole it?" Wesker chuckled. "Then there must be something good in here."

"I'm hoping!" William laughed, and kneeled before the box. Like a little kid, he dove through the box. Wesker sighed and went back to sit down at his desk. He was in the process of getting back to calculating some results, but found William's rummaging quite distracting.

"Most of this stuff is Ashford…ooohhhh," William snickered.

"Will, if they were failed experiments, I'm sure that means they are failed experiments. It's a waste of time."

"You bet! All these files are old school! Now if I could just find one that sounds rather intriguing, I bet I can turn it into a success!"

"You don't pass a chance to show off that you are smarter than everyone else, do you?" Wesker asked, slightly smiling.

"Nope, sure don't!" Before William could laugh, he was suddenly howling. Wesker shot his head over. William wasn't hurt, he was holding up a large photograph of Alexia Ashford. There were some other photos on the floor, all of the Ashford family. These weren't near as old as some of the documents in the box. "I almost lost my lunch!"

"Will, how long is your vendetta against Alexia going to last?"

"Forever, if it has to! Hmm, I have the best idea on what I can do to this picture!"

"Please tell me you aren't going to get a marker and draw-"

"That's completely childish, Albert!" William interrupted. He was looking around the laboratory, still holding the photo. "Do we have a blow torch? Ooh, or some darts or something?"

Wesker felt a rather large headache coming on. He turned back to his work, rubbing his temple and trying to ignore William. He could hear his partner rummaging some more, and he heaved a sigh.

"How many cups of coffee have you had?" he asked.

"Uh, like five. I had two Red Bulls too," William answered, going through the drawers. He went back over to the box, putting the other files and pictures back. At this time, the doors slid open once more. William instantly kicked the box behind a nearby cabinet, sliding Alexia's picture under some documents. He leaned on a counter, relaxing into an innocent posture and faking a yawn.

"Oh, hey Marcus!" William greeted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hello, you two. Spencer just told me that he put Scott in charge of the Cerberus project. I'm hoping he can enhance the performance of the weapon."

William almost jumped. "Yes! I knew it!" He pointed at Wesker, who had just slid his chair around to face them. "I told you! I was so right!"

Marcus looked rather amused. "Why are you so excited, William? It isn't that interesting of news. Albert, is he okay?"

"He might have a heart attack from caffeine overdose," Wesker growled, standing and walking over to William. He pulled his wallet out and handed his friend a hundred dollar bill.

"You two betted on who Spencer would choose to take over the project?" Marcus questioned, shaking his head.

"Keith would have been a better choice," Wesker answered, looking over at his mentor.

"I do agree on that, Albert. Why do you care, anyways?"

"I don't."

"I was the one who brought on the bet. Hey, I will give you your hundred dollars back if you just admit that I was right, and you were wrong," William sniggered, rubbing the hundred dollar bill in his fingers.

Wesker snorted as he walked over to the opposite counter to check the development of some test cells. "I wasn't wrong. Spencer clearly made a mistake at taking on Scott."

William rolled his eyes. "Geez, you are so arrogant sometimes."

"Alright, you two," sighed Dr. Marcus. "William, could you possibly run some errands for me? I need to get back over to the Training Facility to hold a meeting."

William looked over at Wesker. Wesker was watching him closely, and William knew what his partner was thinking exactly, even with his sunglasses on. William clenched his jaw for a moment, and reluctantly nodded at his mentor.

"Of course. I'm sure Wesker will be fine without me. What do you need done?"

Marcus reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He walked over to William and handed it to him. "I was supposed to run these things over to Emerson for him. I truly appreciate it, William."

"Yeah, sure."

Again, the sliding doors opened. The three of them looked over to see who it was. Wesker slightly smiled upon seeing Ada. William broke a grin, but Marcus gave her an almost confused, curious look.

"Miss Wong? Did you get turned around? Dr. Howe's lab is further down."

Ada smiled softly. "No. I need to speak with Wesker."

Marcus looked over to his apprentice. Wesker was watching them while mixing vials he needed for Phase 3. William pocketed his cash and Marcus's list. "Spencer made them working buddies," he explained.

"I see," Marcus murmured, looking between them as if he was unsure. He then forced a smile. "Well, I'm off. You all have a good night."

He left the laboratory. Ada now felt more comfortable and came deeper into the lab. Wesker was finishing up, and after he washed his hands, he came over to William and Ada.

"So, is this 'business talk' something I can hear?" William asked.

Ada shook her head. "No, sorry William. I need to steal Wesker from you."

"Fine. It's not like I'm going to be here anyway," William heaved.

"Just give me a minute, and I will be out," Wesker told her.

Ada studied him for a moment, and then nodded. She turned and left the two of them alone. William got out his list so he could gather what he needed to take to Dr. Emerson. He could feel Wesker's hard glare.

"What?"

"He's making you fall more and more behind when he makes you do his bidding."

"I know, I know. It's annoying, okay? But it still doesn't relinquish the fact that he helped us get here to where we are today."

"Do you notice how he never asks me to do anything?"

"Yeah, but that's because you don't listen to anybody. You were the same way with your father, Andric, were you not?"

"You need to consider the possibilities of what will come if we get rid of him."

"If you are so bent on killing him, then why don't you do it?" William growled.

"It won't do me any good to kill him if you do not first see the good it will do for the both of us."

William groaned, rubbing his head. "Alright, alright. Just get going with Ada. I suddenly have this horrible headache."

"It's all that caffeine."

"Yeah, I know. I really need to go take a piss. You have fun," he answered, and was heading out the doors.

Wesker was right behind him. Ada was out in the hallway waiting. William smiled and waved bye at her, and slipped past them to head his own way. Wesker and Ada watched him go until he rounded a corner and was gone.

If they needed to talk in private, they would have to go elsewhere. Out here, scientists were passing by to go their own ways. It didn't help that John was only a few labs down.

"What can I do for you?" Wesker asked.

"I received some interesting info from another agent. We should take this to my room. Are you too busy? Spencer seemed restless. He wanted us to get this sorted out."

Wesker shook his head, removing his shades and hiding them in his lab coat pocket. "William is only running errands. He will be back shortly, and I'm sure he will be fine without me."

"That's great. Follow me."

She didn't even get a chance to step forward before a familiar voice was calling her name. They both looked over to see John walking up. He was looking between Ada and Wesker, his features almost dubious.

"Oh, hey John."

"What's going on? I thought you were coming to see me on my break?"

Wesker kept himself to the side. He let Ada handle it. She gave John a look, and then sighed. "John, did you not get my message? I called your cell. Spencer called Wesker and me onto an assignment. I will probably be gone for the rest of the night."

John looked like he was about ready to argue. He then took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "Alright. I'm sorry I didn't get your message. Be careful, okay?"

"I will be fine, John. Don't worry," Ada replied with a loving smile. She gave Wesker a look, nodding her head for the elevators down the hallway. The two of them started down that hall, and Wesker could still feel John watching them the entire way.

There was silence as they rode the elevator to the surface. As they reached the first floor of the mansion, they took the winding hallways and stairways to Ada's room. There were less people wandering around up here, most were retiring researchers and curious guests.

"I told John that you and I are partners in work when Spencer asks of it. I don't think he was too comfortable with that," Ada sighed just as they started up the staircase not far from her room.

"Does he not trust you?" Wesker asked, slightly smiling.

"It's you he doesn't trust."

"Then he is smarter than what I give him credit for."

Ada gave him a look, her hand resting on her doorknob. Their eyes locked, and for a long moment they stood there staring at each other. Finally, Ada eased a smile and turned the knob. When they entered her room, Ada preceded to go over to her bed, where a profile was laying. Wesker shut the door behind him, and followed her.

"Do you know this man?" Ada asked, handing over the file.

Wesker took it and flipped it open. "Viktor Stanislov? He was a lieutenant under Sergei at one time. About a year ago he was transferred to the U.B.C.S base outside Kingwood."

"Russian?" Ada asked.

Wesker nodded, handing the profile back. "Sergei's elite is pretty much made up of Russians. Stanislov is supposed to be in charge of that base. Why is he important?"

"Spencer received Intel from one of his informants that Stanislov was planning on meeting with a few VIPs of rival companies and sell some research to the highest bidder." Ada waited for Wesker to say something, but he remained quiet. She decided to elaborate more. "So, he wants us to go in and watch him…see if he does or not."

"And if he does?"

Ada studied him for a moment, her expression reserved. "Then we kill him and the rivals."

"I like that you are subtle about it."

Ada smiled, and nodded. "I hear you are a good hit man. I'm looking forward to seeing exactly how good."

Ada turned around and walked for her bathroom. "I will just change real quick. Do you have any other clothes besides your lab wear?"

"I believe not. We will have to stop by my place."

"I was hoping you could fit into some of mine," Ada joked, walking out a minute later in dark clothes perfect for night watch. "You don't have to work tomorrow, do you?"

"No. Is this going to be an all-nighter?" Wesker asked, twitching his lips.

Ada looked at her cell phone for the time. It was a little after seven in the evening. Kingwood was about an hour and a half away. She knew that one Spencer's higher-ups would be at the base until around ten tonight. Stanislov wouldn't risk the chance with the higher-up until he left before he would meet with the VIPs. There was no telling how long they would be following the Russian soldier.

"Well, whenever the cat's away, the mice will play. We have until ten before one of Spencer's higher-ups leaves. That is when Stanislov will move if he going to go for it."

"Then lets get moving," Wesker stated, turning for the door. Ada nodded and followed him out.

Wesker got his keys ready. They left the mansion, getting into his BMW to swing by Wesker's house before their trip to Kingwood. Wesker had a good feeling that this was going to be a good night. This was their first assignment together, and Wesker could only agree that it was going to go swell.

***

The sliding doors opened for William as he struggled to carry the other large cardboard box in. His lower back was complaining. The box had to have weighed around sixty pounds. He could barely see over the top, files and documents poking out in the mess.

"Hey buddy! Could you please give me a hand?"

There came no answer. William growled in annoyance. He quickly made his way over to the other box and let it drop from his arms. The cardboard box slapped hard, dust flying up everywhere. William coughed from it, but looked around the laboratory.

"Where the hell did he go?" he grumbled, putting his hands on his hips. "Wesker?"

There was total silence in the laboratory. The soft hum of computers and equipment were the only noise. William looked all around, even poked his head out into the hallway. "Heeellllooo? Hey Bob, what's up? Have ya seen Wesker?"

"Hey William. Uh, well I saw him leaving with Ada Wong about an hour ago," the plump researcher replied as he was passing by.

"An hour!"

William slipped back into his lab. He pulled his cell phone from his lab coat pocket. He had missed calls from Wesker and Annette. He contemplated on who he should call first. "Hmm, Annette will probably have my hide if I don't call her soon."

He called her first. "Hey baby!"

"William, I'm down in the underground getting a few things. I just wanted to let you know that I'm heading home early tonight. Are you staying late at the estate?"

"Uh…well, I'm having a bit of a problem so I don't know."

"What happened?"

"Wesker up and left me…again."

"Just come home."

"But I have so much to do!"

"Look, if he isn't there working, then you shouldn't either. It's not right for him to leave everything to you!" Annette spat.

"Alright, alright. Give me an hour and then I will leave. I will see ya in a bit!"

"Love you."

"You too, babe!"

William flipped the cell phone shut. He looked around the laboratory, trying to figure out what he was going to do in his limited time. He went back over to the box of files that he had successfully stolen.

He decided to call Wesker to give him a hard time. Wesker's phone rang and rang, until it went to his voicemail. William sighed and hung up. "He better be having a good time to not answer me!"

"William?" It was John Howe.

William almost jumped. He quickly shoved both boxes into hiding. "H-hey, John! Don't scare me like that! It's sorta rude to just waltz on in, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sorry," John said, looking around the lab. "Say, could you help me out? One of my assistants told me they saw Wesker snooping around my filing cabinet, and now my newest document is missing. Did he steal it?"

"What? Wesker?" William snorted. "Of course not!"

"Wait, this is it."

"Geez, I told him not to steal it. He is such a Klepto sometimes! Hey, sorry John! I will get onto Wesker when he gets back!"

John gave him a hard look. "I'm sure you will, William. Thanks."

Dr. Howe left the laboratory without looking back. William glared at his back. He then pulled the newest box out to start going through it. Before he could even pick the first document up, the laboratory doors were sliding open again. William kicked it back into hiding, and made himself busy cleaning some tools.

"Hey, Marcus! Back so soon, huh?"

"Yes, that meeting was shorter than I thought it was going to be," Dr. Marcus laughed. "Thank you for running those things to Dr. Emerson for me."

"You are welcome."

"Where's Albert?"

"Uh…he went with Ada somewhere."

"Somewhere?" Marcus asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Well, I don't know where they went, but it was work."

"Ah-huh, well, if you will please excuse me, Will. I must go speak with Spencer. You have a good night. I'm retiring myself."

"Night!"

After his mentor left, William let out a relieved breath. Apparently, this was not a good night for him. With a defeated sigh, William hung his lab coat, and grabbed his keys. He headed out after locking up the laboratory.

"I'm going home. This freaking sucks."

* * *

**Yay! Wesker and Ada's first assignment together! I wonder how it will go? Hmm...I guess we will have to wait and see, mwahahahaha! This chapter was fun writing, I don't know why! Probably William, lol. He called Wesker a kleptomaniac...lol. Anyways, I hoped you all enjoyed it just as much! Next chapter coming soon...I hope!!!! Thanx! :D**


	10. Chapter 9: Night Watch

**Chapter 9: Night Watch**

The night was dark from the absence of the moon and stars. Heavy clouds covered the sky, turning the late evening into a night of shadows. Wesker had lost count of the time they sat in his BMW watching Stanislov's movements. He was quick to leave the base after the Umbrella higher-up left almost two hours earlier. Now Wesker found himself following the base commander around the town of Kingwood.

Ada was quick to set up a tracking device on Stanislov, and she even got a hold of a frequency to be able to listen in on his every word. So far, Stanislov had only gone to simple locations, like out to eat, a gas station for gas, and even a bar. Wesker and Ada's conversations were kept simple and to a minimum since they were working. They only got off subject of work when they were waiting for Stanislov to leave his dull stops.

"Don't you speak Russian?" Ada asked in his passenger seat, holding the headset to her ear to listen more carefully.

"Yes. Why?" Wesker asked, watching Viktor Stanislov get out of his car several feet away.

"Sometimes he slips into Russian. If he starts speaking it with others around, you will have to listen."

Wesker glanced over at her, slightly smiling. "Have you heard anything interesting yet?"

"He talks to himself a lot," Ada replied, also smiling.

They saw him enter a gun shop near the edge of town. Ada handed the headset over. Wesker took it and slipped it on. He could hear Stanislov talking in Russian to another man. He started to listen carefully. Ada was patient beside him, slightly leaning over the middle console towards him to try and listen herself.

The talking when on for about fifteen minutes before Stanislov was walking back outside with the gun shop owner behind him. The two Russian men were laughing and talking, but in the translation, Wesker didn't hear anything that was important. Ada and Wesker kept their eyes on the men standing outside the shop several feet away. Wesker eased a smirk, looking down at her. At this time, Stanislov was waving goodbye and getting into his car.

"He's heading for the park," he said, handing the headset over. "He said he had some business to take care of. Something that was going to get him a good amount of money."

"That sounds about right. Are you ready?"

"I can ask you the same question," Wesker replied, shifting the BMW into gear and following on behind Stanislov.

"I'm always ready," Ada said with a wry smile, pulling up a black case from the backseat and opening it.

Wesker saw that the case was full of firearms. "I see you like to pack."

Ada shrugged. "You can never be too ready."

Wesker looked back over the steering wheel, focusing on the road. Ada saw his lips twitch. "True." And he sped the BMW up. The black car's engine growled as Wesker slowly sped it up, changing gears smoothly. Ada quickly loaded up the weapons, even applying silencers to them. By the time she was done, Wesker pulled the car over to park.

They watched as Viktor Stanislov got out of his car half a block away. Wesker turned his headlights off even before he pulled off over to the curb. Stanislov looked all around for a moment, then took out a black suitcase and slammed his door. He started walking into the park. The large built Russian was engulfed by darkness in seconds as he disappeared into the park.

Wesker looked on the GPS on his cell phone. "There are plenty of trees for cover, but I guarantee you he is heading for the gazebo."

"Such a nice place to conduct business," Ada stated drolly, handing him a handgun.

Again, his lips twitched. Ada found herself liking that a lot. "It is also a good place to kill them. The gazebo is on open ground in the middle of the park. They will be in easy sight."

"I like how blunt you are," Ada laughed softly, opening the door to get out. Wesker followed her closely. They both shut the doors to the BMW. Ada watched Wesker cock his gun by pushing the barrel down on the hood of his car. She heard the bullet click into place with the hammer, and the gun was ready to go.

Ada could only ease a smile. The way he moved as he cocked the gun showed her that he was indeed an experienced killer. It didn't surprise her from all the stories she had heard. However, instead of making her more wary of him, Ada found herself being drawn to him even more.

"Let's go."

Ada nodded, cocking her own handgun as they started walking in the same direction as Stanislov. The town of Kingwood was small, only a fraction of the size of Raccoon City. Here, the town was already sleeping quietly. The park was lit by street lamps, but was limited in the number. Wesker and Ada didn't complain. The lights gave them just enough to see while also submerging them in shadow.

The park was small as well. There were limited walkways, but it was definitely full of trees and grass. They stayed off of the paths, sticking close to the trees as they headed for the center of the park. Wesker took the lead, gun ready as he stepped silently along the ground. Ada stuck close, following up with her own weapon ready.

They got near the opening, where they found shelter behind some oak trees. They could see perfectly into the gazebo. A large light towered over the gazebo, shining light along the field of the park until it hit the trees. Ada stood there, listening to her headset. There were three other men besides Stanislov standing under the gazebo. They spoke English over the headset, but Ada could tell that one of them was from France by his accent.

"What are they talking about?" Wesker asked, slowly training his handgun on Stanislov.

"Oh, the usual. Did you come alone, did anyone follow you?" Ada stated, mocking the men quietly while focusing on them. They stayed quiet while Ada listened carefully to the conversation. "Now they are talking about the data. Stanislov says he has the stats of Project 73 ready to go."

Wesker glanced over at her, gun still aimed. "73? That's along the line of the primate experimentations."

"What would they want with that? It's nothing special right? It's not the actual virus or anything?" Ada asked.

"They must already have something else up their sleeve. The only reason they would need experimental data is to correct their own."

Ada started listening in again. The men were all discussing money. Ada studied the men closely, seeing if she could recognize which company they worked for. She knew right off the bat that the French man was from HCF. The other two, she couldn't tell.

"One of the men is from HCF. What about the other two. Can you tell?"

Beside the hulking form of Stanislov, the three men were all slim and well-dressed. The HCF man wore a black suit, and he had dark hair and eyes, along with a slim mustache and goatee. There was an older blond haired man wearing a white business suit and the last one was a clean-shaven red haired man of middle age.

"The man in the white suit is from KrinSol while the other one is from BuC-E. I wouldn't worry about them so much. I'm more interested in the HCF peon."

"Ditto," Ada agreed with a nod, studying the French man hard. "He's offering the most money. HCF is a level competitor against Umbrella. I wonder what they are up to, exactly."

"Isn't it obvious?" Wesker snorted.

"Wait a minute…the HCF man…he just mentioned a Mr. Smith!"

Wesker shot a glance over at her, immediately interested. "It has to be the same one as before. It makes sense if it is HCF."

"Yeah, they would want Spencer dead." They were running out of time. The deal was coming to a close. Ada found herself wondering if they should hold back to see if they could get anymore information on Mr. Smith. Since the attack, Spencer had been on high alert, and the only thing they could come up with was Mr. Smith. Without much else, however, there would be no way to prevent another attack.

"They are closing. Should we hold off and follow the HCF guy?" Ada asked, not sure which action would be better.

She could tell that Wesker was thinking about it. A minute later, and he slowly shook his head. "No. I have a better way to get into HCF. We should kill these four now. Are you ready?"

"I'm always ready," Ada stated, re-aiming her gun.

Ada fired first. Her bullet struck home on Stanislov's hand as he was handing the briefcase over to the French man of HCF. Wesker was quick to cover her, and the two of them started fire multiple shots. Luckily, every shot was quick and silent.

The Russian commander threw out his own gun. Its deafening shots rang out, and bullets were bursting the bark of the trees beside them. Wesker and Ada took cover. They had to be quick before they could get away. They had already killed the KrinSol and BuC-E men. The HCF agent was already running off with the case. Stanislov shot with his other hand, the other a bleeding clump.

"I got the HCF guy," Ada said and bolted for it through the trees. Wesker stayed to keep Stanislov distracted.

Ada ran through the park, quickly catching up to the French man. Since she was far enough away from Stanislov, she jumped out into the open for a clear shot. She fired multiple shots at him. She could hear him wailing something in French, and then realized he was on a walky-talky. She spoke French just fine, and was able to translate his urgent words.

_Shit! He's calling for backup!_

She had only two bullets left. She fired both, one finally nailing the fleeing agent in the back of the knee. With a scream he fell, crashing to the earth along with the case. Ada was quick to slide to a stop, scooping up the briefcase in seconds. She saw the man reach for a gun while screaming in French. He was still calling for his buddies, while at the same time yelling every curse word imaginable.

Ada dodged the bullets, turning on heel to head back for cover. She needed to load a new clip. She heard squealing tires, and looked over her shoulder. A white Saab came speeding around the corner, smashing through hedges to get into the park. Ada ran faster, hearing the car race for her while bullets were also flying.

She dove behind a tree with the briefcase. She quickly ducked down, quickly pulling a clip to slam into her chamber. Someone grabbed her arm and yanked her up. At first she thought it was an enemy, but quickly realized it was Wesker.

"Stanislov's shooting has caused all three parties to react. We need to leave now."

Ada nodded, grabbing the case and following him. She could hear police sirens approaching, and knew that would only cause more trouble. She could hear all the gunfire from HCF, KrinSol, and BuC-E all fighting in the park. She was relieved they were distracted with each other.

"Did you kill Stanislov?" she asked as they ran for his car.

"Yes."

Wesker hit the button on his key chain. The BMW's lights flashed for a moment as it unlocked. They jumped inside, where Wesker immediately pulled the vehicle into gear, and they sped off. Wesker turned the wheel sharp, making Ada have to hold on as the BMW did a complete 180 degree turn.

The black BMW roared down the street as Wesker shifted gears to get away from the police and the fighting rivals. Once they were exiting Kingwood, Wesker slowed the car down to normal speed.

"We got lucky. With the three of them fighting, they were too distracted to go after us," Ada sighed, catching her breath. Her adrenaline was finally starting to slow.

"Were you able to get any info on the HCF agent?" Wesker asked, glancing over at her.

Ada shook her head. "No. He pulled a gun, so I only had enough time to grab the case before his backup arrived."

"It's fine. What's inside the case? Is it indeed 73?"

Ada opened the case. There were numerous files, all labeled and printed nicely. It was indeed Project 73, but only a part of the section. Ada closed the briefcase, slipping it into the backseat.

"Yeah, but it's only part of it."

"There's no telling how long Stanislov has been selling data. The U.B.C.S base is going to be in lockdown for awhile, I suppose."

"Knowing Spencer, I wouldn't doubt it," Ada heaved, relaxing in her seat. She looked at her cell phone for the time. It was almost 1:45 a.m. She sighed again, relieved that the two of them didn't have to work until late tomorrow.

"So, exactly what is this way of yours you have that can get you into HCF?" Ada asked, looking over at him.

Again, his lips twitched to form a small smirk. "I have my ways."

"You will be able to fine Mr. Smith then?"

"It might take a little time, but yes I should be able to find out who this Mr. Smith is exactly."

"Sounds good to me," Ada purred, smiling at him. "I can't wait."

Wesker looked over at her, that small smirk still on his handsome face. "Am I dropping you off at Spencer's or John's? Unless you would prefer to come home with me."

Ada had to laugh a little. "That's sounds good to me. I don't want to deal with the other two. I can only imagine what they will be like. I don't know about you, but I feel like getting some sleep tonight."

***

Ada drank her coffee quietly while reading the newspaper. Night laid at her feet, his head on his paws while he waited for his master to finish getting ready. Ada smiled down at the Doberman, and petted him. Wesker owned a very nice, beautiful house. Ada just loved it.

When they got back late last night. The two of them pretty much crashed in his room. Ada knew she would have to be going soon. She wouldn't want to deal with John in explaining why she hadn't been in her quarters at the mansion last night. He wouldn't appreciate it if she told him that she spent the night with Wesker, even though there was no sex involved. John would be upset, and Ada would not want to deal with it.

Night stood up, nudging her to get attention. She petted the dog some more, flipping the pages of the newspaper. Wesker was taking a shower. She had already taken her own. She got another sip of her coffee.

There came a knock at the front door. The hackles along Night's back immediately rose, and the Doberman went straight for the door. He was barking with so much intimidation, that Ada was surprised the person on the other side of the door didn't run for it.

The front door eased open. Ada didn't have a weapon ready, but knew that Night would leap if it was danger. She heard a familiar voice cooing at the angry dog, and she smiled.

"William?"

"Ada?" He peeked his head through the door, careful to not let the door open too wide with Night. He then focused on the Doberman. "Night, cool it. It's me you scoundrel! Here! I brought you doggie treats!"

Night finally cooled off. William heaved a sigh of relief, entering the house and shutting the front door behind him. He had a small bag of dog treats. Night saw the bag and came right over, licking his lips. Just as William was opening the bag, the Doberman punched him in the thigh with his paw.

"Ouch! Hold your horses! Okay, sit Night!"

The Doberman cocked his head, pointy ears twitching slightly. William repeated the command and the dog just stood there.

"Oh, c'mon, it's the easiest trick in the book! Sit!" Night curled his lips, only to yawn at him. William heaved another sigh. He grumbled something low. Ada stifled a smile watching the two.

"Sit, Night," came Wesker's voice.

Night immediately sat, looking at the bag expectantly. His nub tail was slightly wagging. William shook his head and gave the Doberman the treat. When he looked up at Wesker, who was walking over to stand by Ada, William saw he was only halfway dressed. He only wore pants and shoes.

"Whoa! Did I miss something? I didn't like interrupt or anything, did I? I could totally leave if you want me to," William said, trying not to smile.

"Good morning, Will," sighed Wesker, slicking back his hair from the fresh shower.

"Morning! How was last night?"

"Awful. My legs hurt," Ada sighed, getting another drink from her coffee mug.

William's face betrayed him, and he was soon trying to prevent himself from smiling mischievously. Wesker looked over at her, and she realized what was wrong with William.

"Will! I mean from running you jackass!"

"Oh! Yeah, the mission. Right! I knew that!" William stifled his chuckles, scratching the back of his neck with a grin. At that moment, Night was anxious for more treats, and he punched William right in the groin. It was sweet revenge for Ada, so she laughed out loud.

"Ouch! Geez, Night!"

"Is there a point to your lovely visit, my friend?" Wesker asked, his tone cool as he watched Ada walk away.

"Uh, sure. I have good news and bad news. Wanna hear?"

"I feel a headache coming on already," Wesker sighed, turning around. William followed him while Night followed the bag of dog treats.

"Good news is that you're off today! Yay! Bad news is, Spencer wants you to work anyways! Yay!"

"William?" Wesker growled, turning to him. Ada watched the two as she sat on the sofa.

"I'm sorry, okay?! It wasn't my fault! Marcus volunteered us! How do you think I feel right now?!"

"It depends on what he put us to work with. What is going on? Something is telling me that we are not doing our usual work. No underground, no Training Facility, no Spencer estate, am I correct?"

"Well…it's at the estate, but it's not our usual lab…"

"Will, just spit it out before I order Night to-"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh! Spencer wants us to watch over Lisa Trevor while Roger and his team are off on Sheena Island today!"

"See? There you go. You can't be too disappointed, right Will? It's Lisa Trevor."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm excited! While they are away, I can sneak some more tests and blood for my advantage!" William then glared over at Ada. "You are to not repeat those words to anyone, Ada!"

"My fingers are crossed," Ada stated dully, lifting up her fingers while drinking her coffee.

"And when exactly are we supposed to be there?"

William glanced at his watch. "Umm, like ten minutes. Wow, we are going to be late!"

"I will meet you there then."

"Fine," William groused, stuffing the bag of dog treats into Wesker's hand. "See ya later, Ada! Hope those legs get to feeling better!" He started chuckling evilly as he ran out the door.

Ada sighed, shaking her head, though she did smile. She looked over at Wesker, who was looking at the dog treats. Night sat in front of him, still waiting for some more treats. Wesker sighed, tossing a single treat to Night, who caught it easily in his jaws. Wesker left into the kitchen to put the bag up. As he was coming out, Ada was standing up, ready to go.

"Why is he so excited about Lisa Trevor anyway?"

She followed him into his room as he went to slip on a shirt. "Well, to put it simply, she is where William originally found the G base from. He was able to get it from a sensitive extraction that Will is only able to do. Now, William is on his way at building a new virus that will forever put the T-Virus on the back shelf."

"Interesting. And no one knows about this?"

"Only William, Marcus, Spencer, and myself. And now you of course."

"So, it's one of those, 'I would tell you but I would have to kill you', sort of deals?"

Wesker smiled, straightening his sleeves. He looked over at her. "Exactly."

"I will make sure I keep quiet then," Ada replied, smiling right on back.

***

Ada headed for Spencer's study room without much thought on her mind. She had left her own way when Wesker dropped her off a few hours ago. He had left to go to the underground labs of the estate to meet up with William at Lisa Trevor's exiled location. Ada told Wesker that she would take care of the report for their assignment last night. She had the briefcase with her, hoping that it would help ease Lord Spencer at least a little bit.

As she was about to knock on the door, she heard mumbling voices on the other side. Spencer was talking to someone else. Ada thought about it, looking up and down the hallway to make sure she was the only person. She then put her ear to the oak door so she could hear better.

"…rust them together, Lord Spencer! It's a disaster waiting to happen!" Ada furrowed her eyebrows. She knew that voice. Spencer was talking to Dr. Marcus! "You were uneasy about those two getting close just days ago. What happened?"

"Why are you so worked up about it, James? All my other agents have partners. It's about time I gave Ada one, isn't it?"

"Miss Wong has always worked alone! You told me yourself that you liked that the most about her!"

"True, but I care for Ada as much as you care for William and Albert. I know that Albert will look after her." Spencer was so calm compared to Dr. Marcus. Ada had never heard Wesker's mentor so distressed.

"I care for them, yes, but I fear Albert, Ozwell. I really do. I'm just trying to look after you and Miss Wong."

"James, I think you need to calm down. Albert is a good boy, just like his father. What are you so afraid of?"

"Yes, he is, but I fear his ambitions have rose to that of a dangerous level, my lord. He killed Andric…he's killed countless others. Who's to say that one of us will be next if he decides it?"

"What does this have to do with Ada?" Spencer asked, his tone strained as if he was getting tired.

"He wants her, Ozwell. You have to realize that those two are only going to cause trouble. It will strain John, it will strain me, it will strain William. I know Ada can handle herself, but you know what Albert is capable of. You know that if he really wants Ada that bad that he can easily decide to kill John? What will happen then? How will the company be affected? How will Ada be affected?"

Ada didn't realize at first how shallow of breaths she was taking. Her heart was starting to thump harder at Dr. Marcus's words. She could hear his worry in his voice. She heard Spencer heave a sigh.

"Alright, James. I will think about it, but I don't see any harm. They work well together. You need to calm down and think for a moment. Your fears of your own apprentice…your own godson…they are nothing but dementia, do you understand? You proved to me the use and good of Albert when I deemed him to be killed for his actions against Andric. It's unusual that I have to turn around and do you the same favor, my friend."

"Yes, Ozwell. I understand. Thank you."

Ada was quick to back off, running back to the first door of the hallway. She knew the hallways like the back of her hand, and so she could avoid every single creak. She acted like she had just entered the hallway when Dr. Marcus exited Lord Spencer's study room. She walked with an easy stroll towards him, briefcase in hand.

"Good evening, Dr. Marcus."

He looked over at her. She could tell he was stressed. He strained a smile, nodding down at her. "Good evening, Miss Wong. How did the assignment go last night with Albert?"

"Good. He is a wonderful partner. I'm not used to having one, and he covered me all night long."

"Good, good. He is such a good boy. Well, I must get back to the Training Facility. You take care now, Miss Wong."

"Thank you. You too." She nodded at him. The old man headed out for the courtyard.

She was finally able to catch her breath. She glanced down at the briefcase in her hand, remembering Dr. Marcus's conversation with Spencer. She felt so uneasy about it, yet she also felt compelled to protect Wesker's behalf against Dr. Marcus. Sighing, she knocked on Spencer's door, and walked on in. The uneasiness never left her until late that night. However, the conversation she overheard stayed in her head for hours and hours. And all she could do was think about it, and think about Wesker.

* * *

**Woohoo! This was my most actiony filled chapter of Dark Evenings yet! Yay for me! Sorry if it seemed rushed ^_^ I'm bad about that! I'm also having some computer trouble so sorry if there is any mess up! I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter! It seems Ada and Wesker are on their way to having such a nice, lovely partnership...lol...XD**


	11. Chapter 10: Thy Kin

**Chapter 10: Thy Kin**

Wesker checked his watch as he strolled through the precinct hallways. Passing officers greeted him respectfully, but Wesker paid no attention to them. His first assignment with Ada a couple nights ago went smoothly, considering what had happened. Even though Ada had taken care of dealing with Spencer and debriefing, the lord still managed to find Wesker and ask him his own questions. Wesker had been thoroughly annoyed by Lord Spencer's interruption, having caused Wesker to missed specific developments in an experiment he and William were running.

Luckily, the matter had been solved to the point Wesker didn't have to worry about it any longer. Mr. Smith and HCF were on the list that needed to be dealt with, but Wesker didn't see any harm at letting things get a bit more interesting. Especially now, since Ada was his partner in that line of work, Wesker felt as if things would be going his way sooner than he anticipated.

He reached the S.T.A.R.S office. Taking a sip of his coffee, he entered into the large office, knowing he was early. The other Alpha members wouldn't be here until half an hour later or so. When he entered, he found himself not the first to arrive. He saw Chris and Jill over at Chris's desk, whispering and laughing quietly. They were fixing the frosting on a small birthday cake. Wesker was horrified at first, and had to recall the date. He then relaxed. It wasn't his birthday, but whose was it?

"What is going on here?"

Chris leaped out of his skin, scrambling to use his body to cover the cake. Jill backed away quickly, and then realized she had the butter knife covered in frosting. She quickly hid it behind her back. Chris caught his breath, but Wesker found his sheepish, innocent smile to be agitating.

"Captain! Morning!" Chris exclaimed.

"Morning, Captain Wesker!" Jill laughed hesitantly. She then glared at her partner.

"You two are here early. Jill, you don't usually arrive until five minutes after you are supposed to. What's going on?" Wesker asked, walking to his desk to sit his cup of coffee down.

"Uh, well you see, Wesker, uhh," Chris gave up, looking over to Jill.

"It's Joseph's birthday today," Jill answered.

Wesker took his sunglasses off, tossing them onto his paperwork. He then leaned on his desk, folding his arms to behold his two Alpha team members.

"Which explains the cake. Why are you two here early then?"

"To…get it ready before he gets here! He always gets here just before or just after Jill, remember?" Chris said, finally moving aside so Wesker could see the cake. Upon further inspection, Wesker saw that the cake was small enough for maybe two people only. Usually, if they had birthdays here, they got a big enough cake to let everyone have a piece.

"Chris, I know how much you like cake. Why did you get such a small one? There's not enough there for the whole team. It also could have been easier to just go pick one up at break."

Jill was trying not to grin, but her face muscles were betraying her. Chris scratched the back of his head, looking down at the cake. He then laughed. "Yeah, that's because well…you don't want a piece of this cake."

"I didn't want one anyways," sighed Wesker. He then narrowed his eyes on the marksman. "What did you do to the cake, Redfield?"

"Nothing!" Chris barked, but Jill elbowed him in the ribs. "Alright, okay! We put laxative in the cake, okay? We were getting him back for last week when he tied my shoelaces together."

Wesker felt a headache coming on, and it was weird knowing that it wasn't caused by William for once. He heaved a sigh, rubbing his temple in thought. Jill glared at Chris, and Chris knew he was in trouble.

"I'm sorry, Captain Wesker! I will go toss the cake," Chris said, picking up the cake. He was depressed about having to toss the cake. He and Jill put so much work into it.

"Why? It will be a waste of a good cake," Wesker stated, walking around his desk to sit down in his chair.

"Yes! Thank you, Wesker!" Chris laughed, taking the cake to Frost's desk. Jill followed him, taking a fork and the butter knife over there to sit along the plate. Chris slapped his partner on the arm lightly, grinning. "This is going to be great!"

Wesker shook his head as the two went to sit down in their seats. He couldn't understand how Chris and Jill could get so much entertainment out of something of this sort. Then again, Wesker did get entertainment from William. It was only Joseph. Wesker found himself smiling slightly. This simple prank could bring entertainment just because it was Joseph.

As the time passed by, Alpha members were coming in. There were no Bravo members coming in today, and Wesker wasn't too sad about it. Barry showed up first, and then Brad came in not long afterwards. As suspected, Joseph Frost was the last to show up, even coming in two minutes late.

Wesker hardly paid attention as the team gathered around to greet Joseph on his birthday and introduce him to the laxative laced cake. He was too busy filling out paperwork that needed his attention, most of which were from Chief Irons.

"Aw! You guys are great! Wait…why is it a small cake? It's not fair. There's hardly enough for everyone," Joseph stated, scratching his head while peering down at his cake.

"I'm broke, Joseph, sorry. I didn't have time to round up money from everyone else, so I just picked you up this one. Don't worry 'bout it! We can all go out to the bar or something," Chris answered smoothly. Wesker hardly twitched a smile at Redfield's cool cover-up.

"Bar?! Hell ya! That sounds like an awesome idea! Thanks you guys!"

Wesker could tell that Barry and Chickenheart had no clue about the prank. They went back to their desks with Chris and Jill, leaving Joseph to enjoy his cake. Joseph made a comment about having cake for breakfast, but Wesker hardly listened as he got back to work.

A stack of paperwork, and a couple of phone calls later, Wesker noticed that Joseph wasn't looking too well. Chris was facing away from Joseph, so couldn't see what his comrade was going through. Jill noticed, however, and rolled her chair backwards to poke him.

"Ugh, my stomach…Captain, may I go to the bathroom?" Joseph asked, feeling his belly with a strained face.

"Is this grade school, Frost?"

"No, sir."

"Then go. You don't need my permission," Wesker heaved.

"Sorry, I was just maki…" Joseph trailed off. The Alpha team was peering at him curiously. Chris had this tiny grin on his face, one that he couldn't hold back at all. Joseph's eyes suddenly widened, and he leaped out of his chair. He was a blur sprinting out of the S.T.A.R.S office. At this time, Chris busted out in laughter.

"What's so funny, Chris?" Brad asked, thoroughly confused.

"Oh, nothing. I just got him back," Chris chuckled.

"You know that once he finds that out, he's gonna get you back, right?" Barry asked.

"I'm not worried about it," Chris replied to his old friend. He then jerked his thumb in Jill's direction. "Besides, I got this lovely lady on my side."

Wesker suddenly realized that today was going to be a long one. So far, it had been slow. Paperwork was always the worst. But now he had to put up with an ill Joseph in a confined office. Wesker did have to admit that the prank was somewhat amusing. The look on Joseph's face was priceless.

***

William and Wesker worked a few hours in the underground before they were called to the Spencer estate. Annette was running the Pharmacy, so they didn't see her very much at all, only when they were leaving the underground. As they reached the mansion, the two men walked side by side heading down the hallways. The thing was, William had to go see Marcus, while Wesker had been called to Spencer's study.

"Did you get in trouble?" William asked, glancing at his watch for the hundredth time. "I guess I will figure that out when I get in there. Why does Marcus want to speak to only you in private?"

William shrugged. "I don't know. I will fill you in afterwards though. He should know better by now than to tell a secret to only one of us."

Wesker nodded, breaking apart from William to go his own way. Wesker didn't even knock when he reached Lord Spencer's study room. The old man shot his head up from looking down at some papers, glaring at him slightly for his sudden entrance. Ada sat in one of the lounge chairs in front of the lord's desk, looking as if she had been there for awhile. She smiled weakly up at him.

"Albert, it's rude to walk in without knocking."

Wesker ignored his words. "You wanted to see me."

Spencer cleared his throat, putting his fingertips together slowly while looking up at the younger man. He glanced over at his agent, who sat with her legs crossed.

"Ada, why don't you excuse the two of us for a moment? Just wait outside the door. I will need to see you as soon as Albert leaves."

"Of course," Ada answered, gracefully standing up. She gave Wesker a look as she passed him, even letting her hand lightly touch his arm as she did so. Spencer watched the two of them like a hawk, and as soon as Ada shut the door behind her, the lord sighed long and hard.

"Take a seat, Albert."

Wesker remained standing. Spencer slightly shook his head, leaning back slowly in his leather chair. The study was small and filled with books, collector's antiques, and nice furniture. The only window was behind Lord Spencer, and the scenery outside showed that it was night outside now.

"I'm warning you now, Albert. You are to stop hassling John Howe. Do you understand me? I've had many people come to me telling me of your actions towards him. Just because you are Ada's partner doesn't mean you can have your way with her and do what you like with John. The last thing I need is for John and Ada to be stressed, just because you wanted to have a little fun. Are we clear?"

Wesker clenched his jaw hard, but his face hardly twitched, sparing the lord's of the younger man's hidden expression. "Of course, Lord Spencer."

"Thank you, Albert. I also have another matter to discuss of you. Gregory Salin should be here within the hour."

This got Wesker's attention. He clenched his jaw even harder. Gregory Salin was his mother's older brother. Wesker was only a child when he last saw his uncle, maybe around ten years old.

"It's been many years. He's been on assignment in Africa, as you know, but he is bringing back some research. He knows about Andrea of course, but he doesn't know about Andric. I was hoping you would agree with me, and not tell him exactly how Andric died. I forgave you on that crime, Albert, but I don't need Greg demanding answers I don't have…answers he doesn't need to know. So, can you please do this for me?"

Wesker snorted a chuckle. "That just depends, Lord Spencer."

With that, Wesker turned on heel and headed straight out the door. Spencer didn't even bother trying to stop him. He knew it would do no good. Wesker slammed the door behind him, trying to swallow the nasty taste in his mouth. When he saw Ada, he calmed down somewhat.

"Are you alright?" Ada asked. She must have noticed his restlessness.

"I don't know how you can handle being cooped up with him all the time," Wesker answered calmly, forcing a small smile. He kissed her on the cheek as he headed past her. "Have fun, partner."

Ada blinked, slightly confused, and watched him go. Wesker headed straight for the laboratories, hoping William was already done with Marcus. He took his sunglasses off, sliding them into the pocket of his lab coat.

By the time he entered their laboratory, he saw that he was already too late. William and Marcus were talking to Gregory Salin not even fifteen feet away. Salin was just as Wesker remembered as a child. For his age, he looked good; handsome, strong, intelligent. He was also entirely too charismatic. To the point, maybe, that Wesker could be sick just being around him.

"Oh, Albert, there you are," Marcus greeted, picking up filled vials. "Well, I will be right back. I'm just going to take these to Roger."

William and Salin nodded. Wesker hardly acknowledged his mentor as they passed by each other. He kept his eyes on Salin as he and William came over to greet him. Salin wasn't much shorter than Wesker, his eyes blue-grey like his own. He had brown hair that was messy, and five o'clock shadow plagued his face. He wore normal clothes for now, nice and clean considering his trip back from Africa.

"Albert, it is good to see you. It's been so many years, it's great to see you grown," Salin greeted, smiling. He extended his hand out to shake it. William looked at Salin's hand to Wesker, knowing there was a good chance that his partner wasn't going to take it.

"Gregory Salin, it's been years. How was Africa?" Wesker asked coolly, not taking his uncle's handshake.

Salin didn't seem upset about the lack of a handshake. He pulled out a folder he had up under his arm, letting Wesker see it for a moment.

"Extremely pleasing to say the least, but we can get to that later. I'm curious about the work you do here. You know, you might get this a lot, but you look so much like Andric. Except, that you have Andrea's eyes."

"I do get that," Wesker growled.

"Speaking of the devil, where is he? I've been so busy trying to get around, that I haven't even thought about him. It will be good to see my brother-in-law, I think."

"I must apologize, but my father is dead."

William's eyes widened, letting Wesker know that he had been filled in with the same info as Wesker got from Spencer. William was giving him the look to not make things worse, but Wesker found himself wanting to see Salin's reactions.

"W-what? Dead? That's awful…how did he pass away?" Salin asked, shaking his head.

"I killed him," Wesker answered without hesitance.

Salin was taken aback. "Excuse…me?"

"I killed him many years ago…shot him in the head."

William smacked himself in the forehead, glaring at Wesker. Salin took a step back, obviously startled and confused. He gave his nephew this crazy look.

"Why?"

Wesker saw the stack of fresh papers on his desk, and walked over to them. He picked them up to flip through him. As he did so, he glared over at Salin.

"If you want, I can give you a list."

"How could you do such a thing? Not only to Andric…but…but to Andrea, your own mother?"

Wesker tossed the stack of papers back down on his desk. He stepped slowly back over to them, where William was quickly getting the hint that this was turning bad very quickly.

"I don't think that is a legitimate reason, Salin. I never knew Andrea," Wesker stated icily.

He saw Salin's eyes flash with anger and shock. He moved slightly, his body language changing dramatically. William came in between the two of them, clearing his throat as loud as he could.

"Okay! This is such a nice family reunion; let's not screw it all up." He turned to face Salin. "I'm sorry, but please excuse us!"

William whirled around on his partner, glaring up at him. By this time, Marcus entered through the sliding doors, and he noticed the hard tension in the room. Looking suspiciously between Salin, William, and Wesker, the old man was able to easily figure out the problem.

"I'm sorry, Greg. I should have told you about Andric."

"Yes, James, that would have been useful information to tell me," Salin growled, looking over at Marcus.

"William, Albert. I think that it would be best that you leave for the night. Go home," Marcus stated, his eyes never leaving Salin.

"Of course! C'mon, Wesker!"

William was quick to get his things and was waiting for Wesker at the open doors. Wesker didn't have anything in here that he needed, so he just walked in between Salin and Marcus. He glared at Salin hard.

"It's a dog eat dog world, Salin. If you want my advice, it's best to just keep certain things to yourself."

"Albert," Marcus strained. His tone was a warning. Not that Wesker cared.

Without another word, Wesker left the laboratory, where Salin and Marcus stood in silence. William was fidgety as they walked together along the underground labs. They quickly headed up to the surface of the mansion.

"What was all that about?" William asked, shaking his head.

"He asked so I spoke the truth," Wesker answered, glaring down at his partner.

William was unfazed by Wesker's glare. "Yeah, but you could've handled it much better. You did it on purpose. You wanted to see his reaction."

"I'm glad that you know me so well, William."

"You know there was no reason for that. Now we're both in trouble," Will sighed.

"Relax, Will. If it comes down to it, then we will just kill Salin."

"You want to kill your only living relative? Geez, you are really messed up, bud."

"If he gets in my way, I will. We will have to keep up our guard. That file had Alexander's codes on it."

"The one Salin had? I didn't notice. Well, Ashford always means trouble."

They came out into the main hall, where some researchers, guards, and guests were mingling. William and Wesker noticed Sergei and Nicholai over by the stairs. The Colonel was busy talking on his cell phone while cleaning his knife. Then Wesker noticed Ada over by one of the small round tables next to one of the pillars. She was slightly bent over, writing something on a piece of paper. Wesker went to walk over there, but William snagged his arm.

"I wouldn't do that. John is still here."

"Does it look like I care, Will? Why don't you head home? I need to speak with Nicholai anyways."

"Fine, see ya tomorrow."

William went his own way towards the front doors, fumbling for his keys. Wesker hardly watched him go. He proceeded to walk over to Ada, just as she was finishing up her note.

"I didn't think that you would still be up," Wesker greeted evenly, coming up to her side.

She smiled up at him. "I'm waiting for John to get off so I can give him some of his things. Which reminds me…John told me that one of his assistants caught you stealing one of his documents. He even had to go get it from William."

"If I wanted to steal John's work then I would have done it long ago. It was only out of curiosity. And it isn't as if I'm interested in his work. Our research is on a different level than his."

"Why am I not surprised by that answer?" Ada sighed, laughing slightly. She then looked at the time on her cell phone. "Oh, I better get down there to him. Good night, Wesker."

"Good night, Ada," he said as she left with the note and a briefcase, heading for the elevators that would lead her straight down.

Wesker looked over at Nicholai and Sergei once more. Sergei was still busy on the phone, but he was speaking to Nicholai as well. Wesker saw the younger Russian nod his head, and pick up his gear. He was getting ready to leave, but looked over at Wesker as he did so. Wesker jerked his head for the front door, and then casually walked out.

It took only a minute of waiting for Nicholai to meet him outside in the cool, dark night. Nicholai may have been a little younger and smaller than Sergei Vladimir, but he certainly had the power and brains to take over the Colonel's place if he really wanted to. Wesker smiled slightly at seeing his old friend.

"Still having fun with Sergei?"

"I always do. What can I do for you, comrade?"

"I need for you to get as much information as you can on a Mr. Smith within HCF. I have my own resources, but I think it wouldn't help to ask a favor in you, would it Nicholai?"

"After Sergei's little plan to whack me and you saving me, I think I owe you too many favors. It's good to know that Sergei at least doesn't know that we knew."

"I appreciate it. And now I'm sure you are keeping your guard up, correct?"

Nicholai nodded. "Yes. But as you were saying. You want a Mr. Smith of HCF? I will get on it, and tell you what I know tomorrow. Getting into HCF is too easy sometimes. I'll see what I can find."

"Thank you, Mr. Ginovaef," Wesker replied, just as Sergei was stepping out of the door.

"What's going on out here? Are you two getting chummy?" Sergei chuckled, walking over to his subordinate, his eyes never leaving Wesker.

"Mr. Ginovaef was just telling me about Gregory Salin. It's interesting research he is bringing back from Africa."

"Isn't he your uncle?" Sergei asked bluntly.

"Why do you care?" Wesker asked.

Sergei only shrugged, smirking slightly. "Well, comrade, I was just wondering if he holds some sort of grudge against you like your father did since you killed your mother at birth."

Nicholai looked sharply at Sergei, then over at Wesker. Wesker just stood there, silent as stone. Sergei gave him a look, as if disappointed that he didn't get a much better response from Wesker.

"Maybe he does. If that's the case, then I'm sure things are going to get quite interesting," Wesker stated nonchalantly, twitching a small smirk.

He turned and headed for his car, not even bother looking back at the Russians or saying goodnight. The BMW flashed its lights as he pressed the unlock button on his keys. He got in the sport sedan and sped off, heading straight for home.

It seemed as if Gregory Salin was doing some sort of research for Alexander Ashford as well. The Ashford family and Spencer may have co-found Umbrella, but that didn't mean that the two shared the same ideas and ambitions. If Wesker wanted to destroy Spencer, he was also going to need to destroy the Ashford legacy.

Salin, on the other hand, was just a pawn. Wesker felt as if getting rid of him as soon as possible would be the best move to take. If Salin represented Ashford, Wesker didn't need anything to go wrong. Salin was in a position that enabled him some power within the company. To Wesker, it felt as if he was just going to be stepping on a mole.

* * *

**This idea just came to me about Gregory Salin. I hope you guys like it, lol! If not, let me know and I will tear the chapter apart and post an alternate chapter to go in another direction! William was actually somewhat normal in this chapter, hehehee! Anyways, the ideas keep flying to me in this story, so I'm hoping for it to start coming together! More WeskerxAda moments are coming up...along with some William...ness! Thanks for reading and reviewing! XD**


	12. Chapter 11: Dirty Deeds

**Chapter 11: Dirty Deeds**

"I don't know Wesker…it sounds like a bad idea to me."

Wesker glared across the table at William. The two men sat in the kitchen at the Birkin's house. The kitchen held only a faint light in the corner, above the stove. The small light cast a large shadow across the kitchen, setting the partners half in light and half in shade. The clock hanging on the wall read almost midnight. Their little conference had been going on for a little over two hours, only letting the dark evening turn to an even darker night.

William swished his cold coffee around in the mug, not looking up. His partner was deep in thought, and Wesker didn't move as he watched him, having taken off his sunglasses within an hour ago. Wesker knew it was about time to leave. Annette and Sherry had been sleeping for awhile, and Annette was already uneasy about Wesker keeping William up.

Wesker twitched a tiny smirk. _She knows we are up to no good._

"Do you ever stop and think what will happen if Spencer ever finds out what you do behind his back? And here I am helping you…all the time."

"William, you know what must be done for us."

William heaved a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. "I know."

There was a moment of utter silence between the two. The overhanging clock could be heard ticking time away with an even beat. Wesker didn't move his eyes away from his quiet partner. William was staring off into space, still thinking.

"I can do anyone else…I will even help you kill Salin, but I still need time with Marcus. It…just doesn't feel right."

"Fine, I accept your answer."

William perked up in surprise. "W-what? That's it? You aren't going to continue trying to persuade me?"

Wesker leaned back in his chair. "Not for some time, no. If you need time, then you need time. I understand that."

"Okay, who are you and what did you do with Albert?" William snorted, shaking his head. "Really, if you want Marcus dead that bad, I'm surprised you haven't done it yourself. Why does my opinion and feelings have to do with it?"

"I've told you before, Will."

William half rolled his eyes, also leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Daddy?"

The men looked over to see Sherry walking into the kitchen from the living room, rubbing her eyes from just waking up. Her short blonde hair was messy from the pillow, they could tell. William smiled lovingly over at his nine year old daughter, scooting the chair back to stand.

"Hey, honey. What's wrong?"

"I'm thirsty. Why are you still up? Oh, hi Uncle Albert. You are still here too, huh?" Sherry yawned afterwards.

"I was just leaving," Wesker told the child, as he got to his feet.

William fetched his daughter a glass of water. Sherry smiled up at him, and William bent down to kiss her goodnight and pushed her off to bed. Wesker headed for the front door, getting his keys ready. His partner followed him onto the front porch. The night air was serene and cool. Cicadas and katydids could be heard singing and down the road, they could hear a dog barking.

"Oh, Wesker…just one thing…"

Wesker paused stepping down the steps of the porch. He looked over his shoulder back up at his partner. William was rubbing the back of his neck. Out here in the moonlight, Wesker could very much tell that his partner was tired. He noticed the dark circles that were starting to form.

"If…things do start to get serious between you and Ada…what are you planning to do about John?"

Wesker thought for a moment, thinking whether he should be truthful or just leave William a snide remark. He ended up chuckling softly.

"I guess we will see when we get there. You, on the other hand, need to get some sleep."

William watched as Wesker got into the black BMW and pulled away, driving off into the darkness of the suburban streets. With a sigh, William reentered his house to go to bed.

***

The S.T.A.R.S office was quiet, only the overhead fan created a soft hymn in the large room. Wesker had been lost in paperwork all morning, and was glad to know that Barry and Chris were off for the day. Chris had pulled a double the night before. Wesker moved his eyes up to see what his remaining Alpha members were doing. Brad was typing on the computer, presumably putting in all the reports that needed to be filed. Jill was doing the same, though she scanned thoroughly through each document to make sure nothing was missed. Joseph, on the other hand, had his head hanging backwards on his chair, yawning in boredom.

"Are you bored, Frost?"

Joseph jumped, immediately hunkering back down to get back on his computer. "N-no, sir! Just stretching!"

Wesker twitched a smile and went back to work. A minute later he heard the office door open. They all looked up to see Richard from Bravo waltzing in. Wesker glanced at his watch, noticing that Richard was a few hours late. It was almost lunch time.

"Aiken, is there a reason why you are just now coming in?" Wesker sighed, leaning back in his chair to stretch.

"Sorry, Captain! I totally forgot I had to pull a double today. Enrico told me a couple days ago, but I've just had a hectic week."

Wesker was going to give some more words to Richard, but then he saw his cell phone light up. The phone was on silent, but it read he had a text message. He flipped the phone open quickly, seeing it was from William.

_Um…how should I put this? You need to get your ass over to Spencer's quick! We've had another breach!_

Wesker reread the message only to make sure he took it in correctly. If William said breach, then he must have meant another attack at the estate. Wesker quickly got to his feet, scooping up his keys and heading for the door. He then halted to a stop in front of the door, hand on the doorknob. He turned back to his team members, seeing them watching him questioningly.

"Captain?" Jill inquired.

"I have to run somewhere. I should be back within a couple of hours."

"But-" Joseph started, but was interrupted by his captain.

"Jill's in charge."

"What?! I have seniority over her!" Joseph barked as Wesker opened the door.

"Me?" Jill asked, surprised.

"Frost, thirty."

"Aw, but Captain! I didn't mean it!"

"Forty!"

"Dammit!" Wesker heard Frost yell as he left the S.T.A.R.S office, slamming the door behind him.

Wesker moved through the hallways, heading downstairs to get to the parking lot. Just as he was exiting the precinct, he heard Chief Irons behind him. Wesker felt that urge to kill rise in his throat, but held it back.

"Wesker! Where are you going?"

Wesker paused, turning to face the Chief as the short, pudgy bastard finally caught up to him. Wesker was close enough to his car, so he pushed the button to unlock it on his keys. The black BMW flashed its lights at him.

"I have to see a man about a dog," Wesker stated, his tone dripping with venomous sarcasm.

Brian Irons ignored his words, shoving a finger into his face. "We were supposed to close the deal yesterday. I have already bribed the mayor. I want-"

Wesker couldn't contain himself any longer. He grabbed Irons' outstretched arm with one hand, and used the other to shove the fat man back into the door of another vehicle. Without realizing it, Wesker had put his other hand around Irons' throat.

"Shut your mouth, you idiot," he spat. "You wait for as long as it takes. Do your part or you get dropped. I have warned you once before."

"Y-yes," Brian hissed.

Wesker slowly let him go. "Good. I will be back later."

He turned his back on the Chief of police and got into his car, driving away with much speed. Irons watched him go, glaring as the BMW peeled away, and all the while rubbing his throat.

***

"Why aren't you underground anyways?" Wesker snorted as he sorted through the mess for clues.

"I got called here, and then they told me to call you. This is so annoying; I should be with Annette right now running those tests. Oh, look! Silverfish!"

Wesker glared over at his partner. The old study room at the guest house hadn't been used in a long while. There was no wonder why there were silverfish crawling about, feeding off of the starch that had gathered on the old books and wallpaper. He saw the silvery insects scatter as William moved the small shelf.

Wesker paid no head to the silverfish, and got back to his search. The dead researcher wasn't anybody important, her name eluding Wesker. She wasn't the only one, however. Two other researchers were killed in the attack. Apparently, whoever had broke into the guest house got in, killed, and then quickly got out. There didn't seem to be anything missing.

"So, what do you think? Is it this Mr. Smith guy? Or someone else?" William asked.

"I'm not sure," Wesker answered, retrieving his knife from his boot as he kneeled down next to the female cadaver. He felt along the black blade for a moment staring along the dead body.

"What are you going to do with that?"

Wesker glanced over at William. William looked white in the face, holding open a file that wasn't his to snoop through. Sighing, Wesker stabbed the blade into the bullet hole on the woman's chest. He heard William grunt something, but didn't listen. He dug the bullet out, using his fingers and the knife to squeeze it through the flesh. Once he pulled the bullet free, his fingers were soaked in blood.

"Are you done?" William grumbled as Wesker got to his feet. Wesker noticed his partner had his back to him.

"You are like a child sometimes."

"You are like a sociopath sometimes…oh wait, hold on. You are one." William turned around to face him, still snooping through the file that wasn't his. He had this handsome, but boyish grin on his face.

William snickered nonetheless and came over. Wesker snorted at William's joke, and pulled the bullet up to look at it.

"Well?" William asked a moment later.

Before Wesker could answer, the door to the study room eased open with a creak. William leaped out of his skin, practically throwing himself behind Wesker. Wesker withdrew his gun, aiming it at the opening door with one hand.

It was only Ada. And she paused upon seeing a gun aimed at her. The smile that creeped onto her beautiful face had Wesker curious, and then he realized that William was holding a desk lamp ready to use it as a weapon.

"Wow, you two are jumpy," she greeted dryly.

"Jesus, Ada! Don't do that! How are we supposed to know that you aren't one of the killers?" William heaved, sitting the lamp down.

Wesker put away his gun as Ada's smiled widened a little. "Would they ease the door open like so if they were coming back to kill you?"

"Well, sure!" William snorted, folding his arms. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"I came to join my partner," Ada answered simply, walking gracefully into the room to scan the destruction.

"Aren't you a little late? We've been here for almost forty minutes."

"A lady has things she needs to do."

William rolled his eyes. "Oi."

"Here, Will."

William turned to face Wesker. His partner dropped a few samples in his hands. There was the bullet, a blood sample, and a broken pocketknife.

"You're a regular detective, aren't you?'

"Just get started on it."

"Alright, alright! You don't have to get snippy! Sheesh!"

William headed for the door, passing Ada as she was checking the walls for stray bullet holes. After he was gone, the two of them were quiet for a moment. As Wesker kneeled to study the body more, he absently rubbed the blood on his fingers together while thinking.

"What kind of bullet did you dig up?" Ada asked, breaking him from his thoughts. He looked over at her.

"9mm, why?"

She held up another bullet, one that had strayed and went into the wall. Wesker got up to go to her. She smiled up at him, handing the bullet over.

"This guy either used two different guns, or we are dealing with more than one."

This bullet was a .40 caliber. Wesker thought on the matter for a moment, scanning the room to see if he could watch the event in his head. It was then he saw it. There were flecks of blood on the broken glass of the window, where the intruder had supposedly escaped. Walking over to the window, he looked outside.

"And there is no doubt that he is wounded." Wesker pointed outside. Ada scanned the blood trail, which only provided drops here and there, and it went off into the woods.

"Do we dare search our way into the unknown?" Ada purred, smiling over at him.

Wesker grabbed the same file that William was snooping through, and used it to brush away the remaining glass on the window seal. Afterwards, he tossed it aside and vaulted easily over to the outside.

Ada leaned slightly through the window, so she could see Wesker better outside. "Are you having fun?"

Wesker shrugged. "Are you? It is much more interesting than paperwork at the R.P.D, wouldn't you agree?"

He held his hand out for her to take. Ada smiled, taking his hand and vaulting through the window to get outside. The guesthouse loomed over them, the surrounding trees cascading over the house and enriching its solitude. Raccoon Forest was as silent as it could get, and though it was daylight, with sun rays breaking through the canopy to form webs of light on the ground, it was still eerie. Wesker drew his gun once more, this time cocking it so it was ready. He looked over at Ada.

"Are you ready?"

"Haven't I told you that I'm always ready?" Ada answered lightly, withdrawing a small handgun from her lower back. She pulled back the barrel to click the first bullet into place. Wesker eased a small smirk.

They followed the tiny blood trail through the forest, each flecks of blood diminishing over time. They kept alert, but the forest provided them with no sudden sounds. Wesker knew that the tracking would go much faster if he had Night here following the trail.

It was then they came upon the body of an unknown man. He was lying on his side, half curled into a fetal position, but definitely dead. Wesker kicked the body over, so that it was facing up.

"He's definitely HCF," Ada stated, kneeling next to the dead body.

"And he is definitely the one who owns the .40 caliber," Wesker mused, holding up a large handgun.

"Then he didn't kill the researcher."

"Maybe his partner did, and then dropped him," Wesker stated, pulling the clip from the gun to check how many bullets remained.

Ada pulled a piece of paper that was slightly sticking out of the breast pocket. It had a dab of blood on it, but she was able to tell that it was a note, and that it was definitely readable. She scanned through it carefully.

After a moment, she said, "Or maybe it was one of our own who killed him and the researchers."

Wesker looked over at her, beholding her with a trancing gaze. "Who?"

He saw Ada clench her jaw for a moment, and then she looked at him. "Allen Drell. He is one of John's subordinates. These were his orders under HCF."

She handed him the note. Wesker took it and read it. After thinking for a moment, Wesker was able to understand what exactly had happened. He stood up, Ada mimicking him. Wesker pulled his sunglasses off, rubbing his eyes for a moment.

"It seems that Dr. Drell and our dead friend here were having a secret exchange in the study room of the guesthouse. They must have been discovered, and Drell panicked."

"I have to report this to Spencer."

Wesker slowly nodded. "Very well. Let's go."

He slid on his shades, and they headed back through the forest, towards the guesthouse. Wesker knew he would need to find William and inform him of the situation. The samples he provided his partner with were useless now. There was no doubt that Spencer would want to take action as soon as he was told. The main question was, would they be able to find Drell if he ran for it? Wesker didn't think Drell would run. He had a feeling Drell was still around, playing it off as if nothing had ever happened. If that was the case, then Wesker had another easy assignment ahead of him…

***

By the time Wesker returned to the precinct, it was only minutes before Alpha's shift was over. Even as he walked through the door into the S.T.A.R.S office, Enrico and Kevin Dooley were already there, talking to Jill.

"Ah! Captain! There you are!" Jill exclaimed, mostly in relief.

Wesker strolled over to them, dressing a small smile for them. "I apologize for my late return. I had more trouble than I thought."

"It's alright. Jill did an excellent job handling everything. We are just relieved to see that you are fine," Enrico put in, stroking his mustache as he smiled.

"Oh, and don't worry, sir," Kevin chuckled. "She kept Frost in line. She is the regular dominatrix if ya ask me."

He received a hard punch in the arm by Jill. Kevin yelped, grabbing the sore spot and wincing. "Ow! I was joking!"

He moved away, grumbling to himself. Jill heaved a sigh, slightly shaking her head. She went to her desk quickly and brought Wesker a few papers.

"These are the next cases. The one on top is first priority. I also filed those claims for you. Oh, and Robert Kendo called; he left me a message. He said that the Samurai Edge custom is ready to go, if we are ready. Also, a Gregory Salin called."

Wesker shot his head up to look at her from the papers, slightly glaring. Jill didn't seem suspicious only slightly curious and confused.

"He told me to tell you that he wishes to talk again, just the two of you."

"Is that all he said?" Wesker asked sharply.

"Yes, sir. He wouldn't give me any other information as I asked, not even a number to have you call back. I'm sorry, was I supposed to?"

"No, no," Wesker said, shaking his head. "It's fine. I know how to contact him. Excuse his mannerisms. He is a…cautious man."

"I understand."

"Thank you, Jill," Wesker said a moment later after flipping through the papers again.

By this time, the rest of Bravo was showing up. Richard greeted his comrades, livening up a little as he got ready to do his second shift. Joseph, who was helping Brad in the corner, finished up so he could leave. Wesker talked to Enrico for a moment, and then left the Bravo captain in charge to leave. Brad and Joseph were already ahead of him, laughing and talking as they headed for the exit. Jill stayed behind to finish up a few things.

By the time Wesker got out the door, his cell phone started ringing. There was no telling who it was. Once Wesker left Ada back at the mansion to deal with Spencer and the whole Drell ordeal, he came back here. He didn't realize how long he and Ada had spent in the forest until he returned to the R.P.D. It was either Ada calling to say what Spencer wanted to do about the matter, or it was William calling just to bug him.

He looked at the name. It was Ada. Smiling, Wesker flipped the phone open and answered it. "Wesker."

"_If you know that it's me that is calling, why do you answer it that way?" _Ada asked on the other end.

"It is habit," Wesker answered, unlocking his BMW and climbing in.

She sighed. _"Well, anyways, I have to take a trip out to Carson City. I won't be back until the end of this week. Spencer wants to see you right away. It's about Drell."_

"What's in Carson City?"

"_Spencer wants me to take care of a client."_

"I see. So, I get to handle Drell all by myself? There's no fun in that."

"_Don't sound too disappointed. I'm leaving right now actually. Apparently this…client of his has found out more than he should. Now I must fly to Carson City to dispose of him…such a drag. I was hoping he would send one of the other agents."_

"Did he tell you anything else?"

"_No. He pretty much just wants you to kill Drell, and bury his body in the woods somewhere. If there is something else, he didn't say. But…I can tell there was more to it."_

"There always is with our dear Lord Spencer," Wesker snorted. "Enjoy your trip. I will see you when you return."

"_Don't have too much fun without me."_

With that Ada hung up. Wesker flipped the phone shut, and slipped it into his pocket. If Spencer wanted him to bury Drell's body in the forest, then Wesker was going to have to bring Night along to guard. Wesker didn't understand why the lord would want to bury the body. There were much better ways of disposing a body, ways that Wesker knew too well. He smirked slightly though, orders were orders. In order to make Spencer happy, Wesker would just do it the lord's way.

***

It was getting dark by the time Wesker showed up at the Spencer estate. He strolled along the hallways, Night at his side, heading for the lord's study room. Wesker was surprised that William hadn't called him yet, and he was beginning to wonder if something was up with his partner. The Doberman sniffed around as he followed his master. Just as Wesker was opening the door to let Night through into the hallway that led to Spencer's study room, he found Marcus and Salin on the other side.

Wesker closed the door behind him, the dim lit hallway casting them in shadow. Night growled a little at Marcus and Salin, and kept his body in-between them and Wesker. Wesker could tell that his mentor and uncle had just left from seeing the lord. He swallowed back nasty words and kept cool.

"Albert, there you are. I see you brought Night with you. Spencer must be putting you and William on some sort of assignment then, if he is coming along," Marcus said, eyes not quavering against Wesker's.

"Who knows. I may just be bringing him along because I feel like it," Wesker answered lowly.

Night must have felt his tension, because he growled again. Wesker cleared his throat. "And by the way, Salin. The next time you call the police department asking for me again, you will regret it. The last thing I need is for you to screw up what I have accomplished over the years there. If they discover who I am, then we all take the fall…including you."

"I understand, Albert. I just…we need to talk."

"We will talk when I have time. Now, if you two will excuse me. Night, come on."

He headed past them. The Doberman growled one last time, then followed along beside Wesker. When he reached Spencer's room, he didn't bother knocking once again. He opened the door, telling Night to stay, and closed the door behind him. William was sitting in one of the lounge chairs that sat in front of Spencer's desk. The old man looked up while talking on the phone. The glare Wesker received amused him, only because the feeble lord should have known by now that Wesker wasn't going to knock.

Spencer hung up, grumbling to himself for a moment. He looked up at Wesker. William smiled, yawning and stretching. His partner got to his feet to join him. Spencer heaved a sigh, taking a moment to gather his words.

"Get rid of Drell. Do it quietly, and make sure nobody sees you."

"You want William to help me?" Wesker questioned, still slightly amused.

"William has helped you kill before. What's the problem?"

"Nothing at all."

"If anyone finds out, dispose of them as well. I don't need this going any further than it already has."

"What are you going to do about HCF?" William asked.

"I apparently have double-agents working for me. I will have to change security and protocol to help track them down. We need to get rid of them ASAP. HCF, on the other hand…I have no idea how I am going to deal with them. They are one of our biggest competitions. Whoever this Mr. Smith is, he is able to bribe our men into doing his commands. If we find him and eliminate him, then we will at least have one part of HCF not to worry about."

"Easier said than done, sir," William stated, easing a smirk over at his partner.

"Just go take out Drell. Leave no."

Wesker turned and went out the door, William right behind him. Night waited for them in the hallway. Wesker petted the Doberman for a moment while he thought. He looked over to his partner.

"Any ideas?"

"You don't have any?" William grunted, surprised.

"Oh, I have plenty. I was just being courteous," Wesker snorted.

William snickered, pulling out a syringe. "This works every time."

Wesker chuckled softly. "Oh, how you amuse me."

"Let's get down to business then. I know exactly where he is. Can you distract John?"

"You know I can."

William laughed. "This is gonna be good!"

Wesker and William headed outside into the courtyard to let Night out. The Doberman decided to go check everything out while William and Wesker went down below to greet Drell.

***

When they reached John's laboratory below the estate, they were pleased to find that Drell was by himself. Just as were walking in, John entered behind them. He looked up from his papers in surprise, and then his handsome features turned to suspicion.

"Wesker…William, can I help you?"

"Oh! Hey John. What's up?" William greeted.

John glared at him. "Working. What do you guys want? I'm busy."

"Well, you will be even busier now. Spencer wants to see you in his office. It's something to do with Ada's trip to Carson City. You better hurry, it might be important," Wesker stated coolly.

"Ada?" John echoed, startled. He then looked over to Drell, who stopped what he was doing and was watching them with a guarded look. "Allen, can you please watch them? I will be back."

John turned and left the laboratory. Wesker and William smirked, slowly turning around to face Drell. The partners took their steps carefully, spreading apart to go opposite ways around one of the counters to get to the back where Drell stood. Drell watched them closely while finishing stuffing some clothes into a briefcase. He watched them as if they were two starving wolves slowly homing in on the kill.

"Hey, Allen. Whatcha doing?" William asked.

"N-none of your guys' business! You aren't allowed in here anyways! Get out!"

"You don't have to be so rude, Dr. Drell. We are only here to talk."

Drell pulled a gun on them. "Bullshit. I know how you two work. Take one more step and I will blow your heads off!"

William paused in his stroll, looking over to Wesker. Wesker wasn't fazed by the barrel of the gun, which was only twenty feet away. Drell was sweating now. He switched the gun back and forth between them. Wesker put his hand up to show William to stay put.

"Hey, chill out. We aren't here to cause problems. You don't want to disappoint John, do you?" William asked, trying to ease the double-agent.

"Spencer sent you two to kill me. I know it!"

"I don't take orders from Spencer," Wesker retorted.

"And do I look like the kind of guy to you that can kill a man?" William asked, slightly laughing and putting up his arms a little.

Drell wasn't fazed. He kept the handgun pointed on either of them, switching it every other second out of spite. William glanced again over to his partner, seeing if he was getting any ideas. If Drell shot the gun, then they would be in trouble. The whole B1 level would hear them. Plus, they were running out of time before John would return.

"Did Mr. Smith not inform you of our meeting?" Wesker asked calmly.

Drell grunted. "Mr. Smith?"

"Yes. Oh, was that you that killed one of our agents back at the guesthouse? No wonder you didn't get all the information from him. But, I guess I can understand. You both were discovered. You had no choice but to take them out and leave."

"I can't trust you," Drell growled.

"I have your orders here from Mr. Smith. Would you like me to call him for you as well? We won't get anywhere if you keep waving that gun around. We need to get to work. Time limit…remember?"

Drell's eyes flicked from Wesker to William. He slowly lowered the gun. Nodding, he sat the gun down on the nearby table. He wiped his face from the sweat, and then looked over at Wesker with a pleading look.

"Mr. Smith will forgive me for my mistake?" he asked.

"Of course he will," Wesker said reassuringly, nodding. He walked right over to Drell, William following on a little more slowly.

"But, in order to get down to business, we will need to go somewhere…a little more empty," William said.

Drell immediately shook his head. "No! We are fine here!"

Wesker got Drell's attention by pulling out a note from the inside of his jacket. William used this distraction to pull the syringe. Drell looked at the note with uncertainty. He didn't have a chance to say anything before William stabbed the syringe in his neck. Wesker was quick to cover Drell's mouth. The man collapsed onto the floor, dead and silent.

"Geez, that was crazy. Well, now what are we supposed to do since we weren't able to lure him outside? We can't just carry his body through the estate."

Wesker went to the back of the laboratory. He broke into the storage room in the back, and soon came back carrying a body bag. They quickly bagged the short, lean dead man and zipped it up.

"That still looks suspicious," William stated.

"Really, William? I couldn't tell."

"Oh! Wait, I have a brilliant idea!"

He ran over to the other side of the counter, retrieving the gurney that was sitting there. He pulled it over to Wesker and Drell's dead body. Wesker smiled. They picked the body bag up, stuffing it underneath the gurney. William stole a few items here and there, namely some large sheets that they used to drape over the top so that the body bag remained hidden below.

"Boy is John gonna be mad!"

"Just push, Will!"

The two of them started rolling the gurney through the underground. Passing by researchers stopped to watch them go by curiously. William glared at them as they did so.

"What? I need a few items for my lab below the city!"

His words made them get back to work. Once on the level floor of the mansion, they headed for the courtyard. Luckily, in this late hour, most researchers were either below or had already retired into their rooms. When they made it to the darkness of outside, Night came over to greet them.

"Leave the gurney. We will have to carry him," Wesker told his partner.

Wesker pulled the body out from under the gurney. William got the other end, and together they picked the body up and started for the forest trails. Night followed on behind them, trotting with an alert edge.

They went deep, deep into Raccoon Forest, both carrying flashlights in their free hands to guide them through. William was getting tired, and started complaining. Wesker could only sigh.

"Don't you think…it would have been better…if we just…grinded him up…or something?"

"These are Spencer's orders, Will."

"No shit! Really? That's why I'm asking. You usually don't listen to him!"

"Just play along, William."

"Fine! But you owe me!"

"You remember that time when I babysat Sherry?"

"Okay, fine! We are even then!"

They started digging, having got the shovels in the shed in the courtyard. Night moved through the woods around their area, making William jump with unease every time the dog would jump out next to them.

"Night. Guard."

The Doberman perked up at Wesker's words. He growled softly, turning his lithe body around to go off into the darkness. Within a couple of minutes, they could hear Night's furious barks erupt up ahead of them.

"Great. It's probably a bear! We are going to be eaten!"

Wesker pulled his gun out, cocking it. Night came running back, still barking. He turned to face the threat, which turned out to be a man. Not just any ordinary man, but one of Sergei's men. The Russian guard drew a gun on them as well.

"What is going on out here?" he asked, his flashlight hitting William in the face.

"None of your business," William grumbled, using his hands to block the light.

The Russian brought up the gun to higher, aiming for Wesker and William and meaning to shoot. Night charged furiously, leaping and hitting the guard to the ground. The gun went off, but Wesker and William were quick to move. William kicked the gun from the man's hand, while Wesker aimed his at the man's face.

He didn't have to do much else. Night had him by the throat, just as he was trained to do, threatening to crush it with his jaws.

"How did you find us?" Wesker asked.

"I saw the flashlights," he answered, wincing in pain from the growling Doberman.

"Did you come on your own accord?"

"Yes. I'm alone. We can talk about this. Just explain what is going on. I won't tell anyone, just please don't kill me."

"I'm not going to kill you," Wesker snorted, lowering the gun.

"You aren't?" William grunted."

"No. Night is. _Töten Sie ihn_."

"_Ждите пожалуйста_!"

Night grabbed the man's throat and crushed it easily in his jaws. The Russian man struggled only seconds before his blood was spilt and he was dead. William stared for a moment, and then Wesker tossed him his shovel.

"Well, let's get back to work."

"Yeah…" William sighed.

* * *

**Translations:**

**_Töten Sie ihn: Kill him (German)_**

**___Ждите пожалуйста_!: Wait, please! (Russian)**

**Woohoo!! What a long ass chapter!!!! XD I hope I didn't go overboard, but this whole chapter just had to fit into one so it would feel right! Were you guys surprised that William helped Wesker do all of this???? Lol, I try making surprises sometimes! This chapter wasn't too hard, as the idea for it had come to me easily this time! No promises for the further chapters, lol! This chapter's purpose was to bring together more of the suspense with HCF, Mr. Smith, and all that. Also, it was meant to show exactly how close William and Wesker are as partners. Night also served an important purpose lol. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this much longer chapter! I promise more WeskerxAda moments in the future, really! I know I said that a few times, lol! Trust me, they are coming! Again, I am now accepting anonymous reviews! Thanks again, and please enjoy!!! XD**


	13. Chapter 12: While William's Away

**Chapter 12: When William's Away, Wesker will Play**

**Or visa versa...lol**

Ada was relieved to get out of Raccoon City Airport. The trip to and back from Carson City was horrible, and all she wanted to do was go home and sleep. It was almost one in the morning, the stars blinking brightly in the night sky. She was frustrated that John didn't answer his cell phone. It wasn't like him. Now she was either going to have to call Spencer to send someone, or just take a taxi.

As she looked along the street that lined the front entrance to the airport, she noticed a familiar black BMW within the line of cars. Wesker stepped out, walking around the vehicle to head over to her. Ada couldn't help the smile that came onto her face.

"Wesker, what a surprise. How did you know when I would be arriving?"

"Do you need to ask?" he greeted, smiling.

"Knowing you, I don't think I should. I guess you are taking it upon yourself to be my chauffeur then?"

"If I am, then what do I get paid with?"

Ada laughed softly, moving around him to walk slowly for his car. "I guess we will wait and see."

They got into his BMW. Wesker pulled off out of the line and headed back into the city. Ada relaxed in the cab of the sedan. For minutes, the only sound was the vehicle's engine under the hood, and the change of the gears when Wesker would shift the stick.

"How was Carson City?"

"Horrible. I just dumped my client into the lake and went back to my hotel. Really, there was nothing exciting."

"That's too bad."

"How did it go with Drell?"

"William and I took care of him."

"William?" Ada asked, a smile forming on her beautiful lips. "Is he even capable of hurting someone? The most I've seen him do is pop off at someone."

"You would be surprised."

"Interesting."

"So, where am I dropping you off at? John's? Spencer's?"

"Spencer's. I'm too tired to deal with John." She saw Wesker twitch this barely noticeable smirk. For some reason, it made her smile. "He isn't answering his cell phone anyways."

"He isn't? How peculiar."

While heading for the Spencer estate, it stared to rain. When they pulled to a stop in the lot, Ada noticed that John's Cadillac was still here. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, and so they didn't need an umbrella to head inside the mansion. Wesker walked down with her to the labs. He was meaning to grab William and go, while she meant to find John and confront him about his cell phone.

They bumped into John in the hallway of B1. He was surprised to see his girlfriend, and he slightly gave a glare towards Wesker.

"Ada, you are back already? You were supposed to call me."

"I did call you. Why didn't you pick up?" Ada asked, keeping at Wesker's side.

John seemed confused. He checked his pockets on his pants and lab coat. "I…uh, did have it on me. Where did I put that blasted thing? Maybe it's back in the lab. Call me real quick so I can find it."

Ada sighed, flipping open her phone and speed dialing John. John waited for a ring to erupt in his laboratory, but it didn't come anywhere.

"That's just great! Now I lost my phone! I'm missing my gurney, some sheets, some valuable tools and-"

William came walking up to them, the pocket of his lab coat ringing. Ada looked down at her phone, noticing it was still dialing John. William pulled it out, smiling like a fox as he held it out to John.

"That totally isn't my ring tone. Sorry John. I must have got it mixed up with mine!" William laughed.

"You didn't think to check the front?" John growled, snatching his phone.

"Hey, I don't have time to check such things," William snorted.

"You stole it!"

"John!" Ada snapped, glaring at him.

John cooled off quickly. He seemed slightly embarrassed in front of Ada. "Sorry. Ada, I'm heading up now. Are you coming with me?"

"I will meet you in the main hall."

John reluctantly nodded. He glared at Wesker and William and then headed off on his own, still carrying his clipboard with him. Ada waited until he was out of earshot until she glared at the two partners.

"Will, you did steal his phone, didn't you?"

"Was it that obvious?" William snickered.

"Why?"

"Well, how else was I supposed to figure out when you got in?"

"You mean you two planned this? You stole John's phone so he wouldn't get my call and so Wesker would know when to come pick me up?" Ada growled.

"Yep!"

Wesker glared at William hard. William noticed his friend's stare, and stepped away. "What?"

Ada heaved a sigh. "What am I going to do about you two?"

"It was all in good fun, I assure you," William said, smiling.

Ada returned the smile. "I'm sure it was. You two have a good night. I'm going to go apologize to John, and then I'm heading off to bed."

The female agent turned her back on them after one last look at Wesker. Her heels clicked on the cement floor, echoing along the hallway as she followed in John's path towards the elevators. Wesker and William watched her go. William chuckled to himself, and then noticed Wesker's sharp glare.

"What?"

"You."

William snorted, unfazed by Wesker's hard stare. "What about me? Did you see that look she just gave you before walking away? That was the 'I kinda like that he did that to my boyfriend' look."

"I'm glad to know that you can read women like a book," Wesker snorted, slipping past his partner to head for their laboratory.

"Of course I can! They are easy to read!"

Wesker was relieved that Marcus and Salin had retired for the night. He forgot that it was late. A quick glance at his watch told him it was going on two in the morning. He would need to be at the precinct first thing at six. He turned to face his partner. Seeing as William was still grinning to himself, Wesker decided to spoil it for him.

"Then I'm sure I don't have to tell you that tomorrow is your anniversary?"

William's smile slowly faded, and his skin turned white in horror. He stared at Wesker for a moment as his brain was racing. He looked at his watch and then to his clipboard, and then back to his watch. "W-what? Tomorrow?!"

"Yes. The 26th of August, remember?"

"That's why she was giving me that weird look this morning!"

Wesker raised his eyebrows, slightly smiling. "You noticed?"

"Aw, shit! What the hell am I going to get her? It completely slipped my mind between running the CW scans and writing down all the notes. Not to mention I had to cool the new antigen bases today."

Wesker cleared his throat, leaning on the counter. "If you look in the cabinet under the test table over there, you should find something to settle you."

William gave him a suspicious glare. He made his way over to the other side of the lab. He opened the cabinet below, finding a small, gift wrapped box sitting there. William pulled it out, smirking over at his partner. He kicked the cabinet closed and headed back towards Wesker.

"You sly fox! What would I do without you? What is it?"

"You remember those diamond earrings she has been wanting for the past two months that you told me about?"

"You didn't?!" William gasped.

"I did. And that means you owe me 700 dollars."

"Crap. Can earrings really cost that much?"

Wesker clapped his partner on the shoulder. "Oh, but don't worry about it right now, Will. I'm sure there are other ways you can pay me back."

William rolled his eyes. "That's what I'm afraid of!"

***

Chris awoke to his cell phone going off. Grumbling, he slapped at it, wanting it to shut up. He blinked open his eyes to the morning rays. The digital clock read eight in the morning. Chris grumbled again. Stupid eight o'clock.

"Oh shit!"

He fell out of bed, realizing he was late. The cell phone kept ringing at him. He answered it while running for the bathroom. He had no time to look at the caller ID before he answered it.

_Please don't let it be Wesker!_

"Hello?! Redfield speaking!"

"_Chris? Where the hell are you?"_

"Jill! I'm getting ready right now! Thanks for calling me!"

"_Please hurry the hell up! I'm the only one here besides Wesker. Brad is off, but Joseph and Barry haven't shown up yet either."_

"Barry hasn't shown up yet? That's the first. I hope everything is okay! Why is your voice echoing anyway?"

"_I'm in the women's restroom! Hurry it up!_

"Don't worry! I will be there ASAP!"

***

Wesker heard the door to the S.T.A.R.S office open, but when he looked up, he saw that it was only Jill returning from the restroom. His eyes followed her sternly. She gave him an uneasy smile before hiding herself at her desk. Wesker looked through the case once more. It was a missing child case. The police had done all they could, and so they finally turned it over for S.T.A.R.S to handle. Wesker leaned back in his chair, sitting his boots up on his desk and lacing his hands behind his head.

"It is near impossible to be able to have a meeting with just one member, wouldn't you agree Jill?"

Jill rolled back in her chair, looking over at her captain. She knew he was being sarcastic in his own way. She nodded. "Yes, sir."

Twenty minutes of silence went by in the office. Wesker shook his head. It seemed slower than normal. Well, to him it seemed as if the S.T.A.R.S unit had been slower than usual this past month.

"It looks as if it is going to only be you and me today."

As soon as he finished those words, the office door burst open. Joseph and Chris piled through, having been fighting to see who could get into the office first. Wesker heaved a sigh, removing his legs from his desk to sit up right.

"Well, look who decided to join us."

"Captain! I'm sorry! I have had a horrible, horrible morning! First, my cat somehow was able to turn my alarm clock off, then my truck wouldn't start…then I got stuck in morning rush 'cause I was late, and then I got pulled over!"

Wesker rubbed his temple for a moment, hoping his headache wouldn't come until later. Sighing, he looked over to Chris. "And what is your excuse, Chris?"

"I slept in. I apologize, Captain," he answered before going to his desk. Chris looked furtively over at Barry's empty desk.

Wesker noticed his looks. "Barry had to take care of some personal manners. He will be coming in for Bravo's shift tonight."

Chris and Jill exchanged glances. Both of them had no idea. Joseph had just sat down at his desk, and he huffed. "Then who is taking his place here today?"

"Frost, I suggest you keep your mouth shut. Barry was the only one with a legitimate reason not to come in. Plus, he called beforehand."

Joseph rubbed his neck with an uneasy smile, and then lowered himself so that he was hiding behind his computer. Wesker got to his feet, walking over to the marker board to begin the meeting.

_If I make it through today, maybe I will be able to enjoy my day off tomorrow, _he thought to himself.

"Alright my loyal Alpha team members. We will be heading over to Martin Drive to investigate the area for a missing boy of eight years old. His name is Michael Calvin. You each have a copy of his file on your desk. Jill, I want you to interview the child's parents while the rest of us sweep the area. It's looking like a kidnapping, so let's be ready for anything."

Chris, Jill, and Joseph all nodded in unison. They flipped open the file on their desk to review before they got ready to depart. There wasn't much detail, so Wesker was sure that the day would end up being a wild goose chase. Wesker stroked his chin as he thought, staring down onto the child's picture. He may have known little about this case, but he did know that at least William was enjoying his day off with Annette.

***

The underground labs proved to be running efficiently even as William and Annette weren't there. Wesker didn't stay long. He merely stopped by to give orders and put people in charge. He also went through what had been done so far. He was just going to head home, seeing no reason to go to Spencer's for the night. However, the lord called him up to have a meeting about Drell, and so Wesker had no choice but to make a trip out to the estate.

"One of my agents identified the other HCF member you and Ada found in the woods. His name was Anton Gerner. He was an agent for HCF for a little more than twenty years. To me, it seems a little fishy on how all that came about at the guesthouse. And, for some reason, no one can gather any resources to lead us to this Mr. Smith," Spencer explained while smoking a cigar in his study.

Wesker was silent for a moment, just standing there in front of the lord's desk with his hands folded behind his back. Spencer seemed to be in thought for a moment, and then he looked directly up at him.

"Albert, I also want you to keep Irons in line. I can deal with Mayor Warren, but I have no time to deal with the Chief. The last thing we need is for him to screw things up, especially with HCF snooping around."

"Of course, Lord Spencer."

"Good. I will have Ada inform you if I get any further detail on this matter. You are dismissed, Albert."

Wesker barely dipped his head towards the lord. He slipped out of the study room and took the shortest route down into the basement levels. Many of the researchers had retired for the night, though there were several staying up to do night shifts. Wesker slipped into their laboratory, unlocking it with his password and letting the doors slide open. He smiled to himself. Since the lab was shut down, that meant Marcus was gone for the night. No matter, Wesker intended to grab the handgun he left after their night of digging Drell's grave to take it home.

He heard the doors slide open. Wesker turned around to see who the person was, holding the gun down to his side. In his disappointment, he found it to be his uncle, standing just inside the laboratory. Wesker clenched his jaw, walking over to Gregory Salin.

"You are a busy man," Salin greeted, nodding cautiously.

"I have many jobs," Wesker retorted. "Is there a reason why you are here?"

"I just wanted to talk, Albert. What exactly are your many jobs?"

"If you must know, I am a researcher, a manager, and a information officer. I work as the Captain of S.T.A.R.S to manipulate the law for our own pleasure as well as use it for counterintelligence. I also kill people for Spencer and get rid of their bodies. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

"Did Spencer have you drop Andric?"

Wesker chuckled softly. "I believe I told you I killed him on my own. Surely, Marcus told you the whole story?"

Salin nodded slowly. "Yes, he did. I just wanted to hear it come from you. Look, Albert…about Andrea…"

"About how she is nothing but bones beneath the soil?" Wesker inquired.

Salin glared at his nephew. "Yes. She is buried here, right? Out in the cemetery behind the guesthouse? James tells me you go see her grave on the first snow of every year."

"Not out of sorrow, if that is what you are implying," Wesker growled.

"Then why do you go there?" Salin asked, getting braver.

"It's habit from going with Andric when I was a child growing up," Wesker stated simply. "I have never broken it for some reason. But, if it makes you happy, while I'm there I do at least thank her for giving birth to me."

"You don't mean that."

"Of course I do."

Wesker slipped past him, going through the automatic doors. His uncle followed him out, where Wesker turned to the panel to punch in his code to lock the lab down for the night.

"Albert, I-" Salin started, but then noticed the gun that Wesker was carrying. He looked sharply up at his nephew, his eyes flashing. "How many people to do get rid of exactly?"

"That is a brave question you ask, Salin." Wesker saw someone heading their way in his peripheral vision. He turned his head, only for him to smile when he saw that it was Ada. As she came closer, the steps of her heels could be heard echoing down the hallway. She wore a stunning black cocktail dress that showed off her curves and legs.

She gave them a slightly confused, almost suspicious look as she approached, as if she was surprised to see Wesker talking to such a man. She smiled nonetheless. Salin greeted her with a nod of his head.

"You must be Ada Wong," he stated simply.

"Yes. And you are?"

"Gregory Salin. James told me about you."

Wesker glared at Salin. Apparently, his beloved mentor James Marcus decided to say his thoughts to Salin about Ada, and, most likely, Wesker's relationship with her.

"Has he now? I hope it was good things," Ada answered, glancing over at Wesker.

"If you don't mind, Dr. Salin. My partner and I have some matters to discuss," Wesker said, pulling his sunglasses off to slide them into his pocket.

Ada studied him for a moment, and then was able to gather what he meant by his words. She nodded at Salin, who took a second to gather himself.

"Of course. It is getting very late anyways. I must be going myself. You two have a good night," Salin said, dipping his head.

With that, his uncle slipped past Ada to head for the surface. Ada and Wesker watched him go for a moment, and then Ada decided to address Wesker.

"What was that all about?"

"He's nobody important. What are you down here for? Oh, and you look marvelous in that dress by the way."

Ada laughed softly. "Thank you. Spencer held a celebration dinner earlier."

"While William and I weren't here? How boorish of Lord Spencer."

Ada's smile never left her lips. "Yes. He says that is the best time to hold dinners, when you two aren't around. He says you two can be troublemakers."

"William is the troublemaker."

Ada laughed, barely nodding. "Well, anyway. I came down here to get John's laptop. His sister flew in from Chicago to visit. He took a few days off, but he is going to stop by tomorrow morning to pick it up."

"I see. So, you are going to be lonely for the next few days."

"Something like that," Ada purred, and slipped past him.

Wesker followed her into John's lab, where she proceeded to get his laptop, put it in the case, and head back up for the surface. Wesker decided to walk with her to her room. He holstered his gun, since he had an empty one on his belt as he was still wearing his S.T.A.R.S uniform.

"Where is William anyways?" Ada asked.

"It was his and Annette's anniversary today, so they both took the day off."

"Wow, really? How long have they been married?"

"Ten years. They had Sherry within the first year."

"She's really cute. I met her when Annette brought her up last week."

Once they reached the door to her room, Ada turned to him, leaning on her door. "What are planning tomorrow?"

"I'm off from the precinct tomorrow. I supposed to be off all day, but I'm sure Spencer or William will change that for me."

"Or yourself."

"What do you mean?" Wesker asked, twitching a smirk.

"I hear from William that you usually don't know what to do with yourself on your days off, and end up working anyways."

"He has no room to talk."

Ada laughed. "Well, then. Just make sure you keep yourself busy with non-work activities."

"Then maybe you can baby-sit me. Keep me busy."

Ada chuckled. "Alright. I will. Just expect to see me early in the morning."

Wesker nodded. "I will be counting on it."

Wesker leaned in, kissing her on the lips. Ada smiled while returning it. He kissed her again, but decided he better stop before he got ahead of himself. Ada's eyes danced as he pulled away from her.

"Good night, Ada."

"Good night, Wesker. I will see you in the morning."

***

The following morning, Ada did show up at Wesker's house. Night barked at the door, but settled once Ada walked through the door. The Doberman's nub tail wiggled in excitement as Ada came in, wearing a dark blue day dress. She pet Night along his head and neck, waiting for the dog's owner to walk into the living room. Once Wesker was ready, having finally had a full night's sleep for the first time in awhile, they left to go to breakfast.

They decided it would be best to make a day of it. It would be the ultimate way to avoid work, since the two of them knew that they both had a good chance of getting called in. Ada wasn't too worried about bumping into John and his sister on the streets of Raccoon City. The two of them were making a trip out of town to go visit more relatives. It was a good day to go out on the town. The temperature was warm with a cool breeze, and there were only a few clouds in the sky.

Wesker's cell phone started to ring while they were driving back to his house. He recognized the ring tone to be William's. Sighing, he decided to answer his partner's call. He shifted the BMW into the correct gear before flipping the phone open. "Yes, William?"

_"You can say hello, you know?"_

"What do you want? It's my day off. I never call you on your day off."

_"You never call me period...unless it's something important, or you want me to do something evil, or-"_

"Is there a point to this call?"

_"Oh, right. Uh...Well, how should I put this?"_

"I'm not coming in," Wesker growled.

_"What? Please!"_

Wesker didn't answer. He kept driving along the streets, heading for home. Ada laughed softly in the passenger seat.

_"Okay, fine. I guess it's only fair. I did have my day off yesterday...Oh, and it's not me. It's Marcus..."_

"Of course."

_"So, Ada isn't hanging around here...and John's out of town with his sister...hmm..."_

"Would you like to talk to her?"

William laughed on the other side. _"I knew it. Well, I will be nice and come up with some crazy excuse why you won't come in...that doesn't have anything to do with Ada."_

"Just tell him it's my day off. I will talk to you later, Will."

_"You have fun."_

Wesker flipped his cell phone shut, slipping it into the BMW's console. He looked over to Ada. "I got out of that easily."

"I bet you hurt William's feelings," Ada laughed.

"He will get over it," Wesker chuckled.

* * *

**Yes, I am still working on the next chapter to Cat and Mouse. My plans for Dark Evenings are already all here inside my head, so it is a little easier to write sometimes. Cat and Mouse is getting closer to the end, and so it is getting more difficult to write the chapters, considering I am still unsure of how I am going to end it! This was just a filler chapter really, but I had fun writing it. I just had to get some WeskerxAda moments in there, since I promised lol. But, don't worry, as simple as this story is right now, I will tell you now. Pretty soon the shit will hit the fan, and everything will fall into place. Right now in Dark Evenings, it is still a year before the Mansion Incident. This story will actually go through the mansion into Resident Evil 2, where Wesker saves Ada. At least that is what I am planning anyway, lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing! XD**


	14. Chapter 13: Ulterior Motives

**Chapter 13: Ulterior Motives**

Ada kept an eye on the time as she had breakfast with John and his two sisters. Mary, the one that already lived here in Raccoon City, knew Ada since she had been with John. Catherine, the one that flew from their birthplace, Chicago, was meeting her for the first time. Ada agreed to come and meet Catherine. John still had one more day off after today. Tomorrow he would be heading out of town to drop Catherine off at the airport so she could fly back to Illinois. Both of John's sisters were younger. They were pretty, outgoing, and very polite. Like John, they both had dark hair. Mary's dropped to her shoulders while her sister's was shorter. Mary's eyes were blue instead of the green that was the color of John's and Catherine's.

It was just after seven in the morning. Ada would have to get back to Spencer's by eight. For it being Friday, the diner was somewhat slow. Friday seemed like the hardest day to drive around Raccoon City, only because of people getting ready for the weekend of course. Ada thought she could hang out with Wesker and William tonight while John was away, and tomorrow while he was out of town, she would go over to William and Annette's house for that barbeque she was invited to. It was something different to do from her usual schedule. Spencer didn't have her doing too much. She was basically watching the property, and working with the other agents to uncover the problems they have been having. It was bad enough with someone letting the dogs loose. Now it has bumped up into more. Ada wondered what Spencer was planning to do about all of it.

"Ada?"

John's voice broke through her trance, and she looked up at him. He sat by Catherine while she sat by Mary in a booth inside the diner. She smiled and shook her head at them.

"Sorry. Just thinking about work."

"I'm starting to think that you need a vacation too," John chuckled. "Maybe I should go talk to Spencer about it."

Ada laughed softly. "It's alright. I will take a vacation one of these days. No matter what though, I still need to get back there soon."

"Right," sighed John. He looked across to Mary, then to Catherine. "Mary, how about you take Cathy to your house while I drop off Ada? I will meet you two there."

"Alright. That sounds good," Mary stated, nodding.

They all pitched in for tip, and then John paid for their breakfast. His sisters left to Mary's house, while John drove Ada back to the Spencer estate. It was quiet for a long moment in the Cadillac, until John finally decided to start a conversation.

"So, what have you been up to while I have been gone?"

Ada kept her eyes out on the passing streets and cars through the window. She thought for a moment, knowing that she should skip the part between her and Wesker. She glanced over at him, smiling.

"Oh, the same. Spencer ranting, phone calls, dogs getting loose, William being…well William."

"Sounds about right," John laughed. He glanced over at her, but his eyes reverted back to the road soon. "Hopefully, this whole ordeal can be sorted out, and things can go back to normal. Marcus, Roger, and I have all had to change the security down in the basement levels once. I sure hope we don't have to do it again."

"We'll figure it out. Spencer has plenty of agents on it, including me on it. We will get to the bottom of HCF's plans."

"I have no doubt in you," John beamed, and then he slightly frowned. He stole a quick glance her way. "So…uh…how's the partnership with Wesker?"

Ada thought for a moment, then kept it cool. "Oh, just how you would picture it. He is rough around the edges a little bit, but so far he has been a good partner. I think at times he can be more arrogant than William."

John laughed softly at her last statement. It quickly dwindled into a scowl. "Do you trust him?"

Ada looked at him sharply, then cooled off. It was only a harmless question. John was just worried about her, that's all. With Wesker, trust was a serious issue after all. He was a dangerous man through and through, no matter how much Ada trusted him.

"John, it takes me awhile to trust others…you know that."

"Yeah, sorry, I just…Wesker, he…he's different."

"How so?" Ada asked, deciding to hear his opinion. She leaned back in the passenger seat, still keeping her eyes out on the sights of Raccoon City.

"Now don't play that. I know that you know a lot about him. And William…he may act civil and innocent, but he can be just as bad. Oh, and get the two of them together-"

"Alright, John. I think I get your point. I will stay alert, okay? Don't forget that I can take care of myself, you know. Oh, and you too."

John slightly blushed. "Sorry. I just worry for you. That's all."

"I know. And I respect that. Thank you."

***

Wesker leaned back in his chair as he sat in the small, dark surveillance room. There were several cameras spying all over the estate, even the guesthouse and courtyard. Wesker had picked the lock after one of the guards had left. Wesker was able to tweak some of the cameras into watching what he wanted, without being seen. After he was done here, he would return it back to normal, leaving no traces. The whole wall in front of him held screens to each surveillance location.

He watched as his uncle snuck his way into one of the archive rooms, and then into one of the laboratories. Salin was definitely snooping around, but Wesker knew that Spencer would take this as business from Ashford, not theft or deceit. The door opened behind him. Wesker looked over his shoulder, just in case it was somebody he needed to get rid of. It was only William, and so he relaxed.

"Did I miss anything? Sorry I'm late. Annette was going on about Sherry's new thingamajig. Something about me doing something…I don't know. I was totally distracted by my new test results for G."

"It a bookshelf. She wants you to put it together," Wesker answered, his eyes still locked on Salin.

"Wait…she told you too? Weird. Hey, what is that sleazy uncle of yours doing? Oh, want a donut? I figured it would be good for this kind of thing. Dang…I forgot the coffee."

"Annette told me because she knew you were distracted," sighed Wesker. "Salin is digging through information that isn't his for the taking."

"And of course if Spencer sees this and demands answers, Salin is going to tell him it's for Ashford, and nothing to worry about. But…we all know that Alexander is a greedy little rich bastard, don't we? Wait a minute…she wants me to put together a bookshelf?"

Wesker glared over at him, no sunglasses there to block the sharp eyes. William only grinned at him, and took a bite of his donut.

"You know, surely Spencer realizes that his partner in business isn't exactly all chummy with him anymore," William snorted.

"The old man is smarter than he looks. I'm sure he is on to Alexander's motives. And if that is true, then he should be taking caution against my dear uncle. Oh, and don't worry. You will be having plenty of time to put the bookshelf together tomorrow."

"Look at him. He's sneakier than you are! What? Then who is cooking the food for the barbeque? Don't let Ann cook!"

"I will cook tomorrow," Wesker stated, tapping on buttons to move the cameras about.

"Oh, wait a minute. This has nothing to do with you helping me out. You want to cook for your own, greedy good!"

"How did you know?"

"All the better to impress Ada with your cooking…which mine is better by the way."

Before Wesker could challenge his partner, he saw Salin going through some of William's documents on screen. While they had been talking, his uncle had slipped into their laboratory, which Marcus had apparently forgot to lock down. William noticed on another screen that Ada had returned from breakfast, and now was heading up to her room.

"Hey, your girlfriend is back."

"Let's go," Wesker stated, getting to his feet.

"Wow, that desperate to see her, huh?"

"No, Will. Salin's stealing some of your research."

William's eyes flashed. His partner leaped to his feet. The two men bolted out of the surveillance room, quickly heading for B2 to confront Wesker's uncle. The two of them marched side by side. Researchers knew better, and got out of their way as they headed down.

They practically bumped into Gregory Salin as they rounded a corner, not far down from Wesker and William's laboratory. Salin looked surprised at first, but it was quickly covered by a calm, collected look that he beheld the younger men with.

"Albert, William…good morning."

"And what exactly did you think that you could make off with in our laboratory?" Wesker greeted icily, getting down to business.

"You are treading on dangerous ground messing with our research," William growled.

"I am only collecting what Ashford told me to, just a few examples of works around here. You can ask Spencer, he allowed it. I made sure each document I took had a copy so you can go on without any strife," Salin explained, keeping calm like it was nothing.

"Take any others, but you would do well in putting William's back where you found it," Wesker answered, eyes locked on his uncle's eyes.

"I cannot help if it is my job. William, I know it seems suspicious for me to just take this, but the Ashfords only wish to see what is going on down here in the Arklay Research Facility. It has nothing to do with stealing research, if that is what you two are worried about."

Wesker glared from Salin over to William. William seemed guarded, but Wesker could tell his partner was thinking this through carefully. His features slightly eased, and the prodigy nodded his head at Salin.

"Right…I am being overprotective. Lord Ashford is Lord Spencer's friend and partner after all. I apologize. It's just…down here, you can't be too careful."

Wesker couldn't believe his partner's words, but soon caught on as William held out his hand to shake. Gregory looked cautious for a moment, then gave a small smile and took William's hand. William had a sincere grin on his face; he even gave a playful slap to the back of Salin's shoulder.

"Sorry about the miscommunication. I will be sure to apologize to Spencer as well. Oh, and don't worry about the grump of a nephew you have here. He will get over it. It's my research after all, not his," William said, glancing over to his partner.

"It's quite alright," Salin answered, looking from William to Wesker with a collected, professional expression. "Well, you two take care."

Wesker's uncle slipped past them, rounding the corner to head up the stairs to find the elevators. Wesker and William watched him go. When Salin had wandered out of earshot, Wesker glared down at his partner, only after making sure there was no one else around them.

"What are you doing? You have something planned. Otherwise, you wouldn't of let your work escape just now."

William smiled slyly up at Wesker. "Relax. I just tagged him with a tiny microphone. No one will notice, and it should fall off in about 24 hours. That should give us plenty of time to listen in on him. If he calls Ashford, we will be able to listen in on the whole conversation. We will not only have something to blackmail him with, but also a way to get back all the documents."

Wesker folded his arms, thinking on it. William had a pretty good plan right there. He smiled smugly. "And a way to be able to manipulate Spencer into letting him be taken care of…namely by us. Something tells me that my dear uncle has an ulterior motive to his visit here."

"We have ulterior motives all the time," William snickered.

"Oh, how I cannot wait to hear what Salin is planning."

"This is going to be interesting," William chuckled, rubbing his palms together.

Wesker clapped William on the shoulder, and the two friends headed back up for the surface. "I like the way you think."

***

Wesker met up with Ada after swinging by the R.P.D to speak to Irons and Barry. The Alpha Team was about to leave to go to a drug heist. Wesker told his team to call if they needed him, since he was off today. He could see that Jill and Chris were ready, along with Joseph. Brad was shaking in the corner, obviously very nervous about the whole ordeal.

Wesker and Ada had lunch after they went around town taking care of some business for Spencer, namely blackmailing and threatening the Mayor Warrens. They returned to his house to start going through clues and see what they could figure out about HCF and Mr. Smith. Nicholai had yet to get back to Wesker with his information, but Wesker knew his Russian comrade would spill it to him as soon as he had the chance.

Wesker also hoped that William wouldn't forget about Salin. His partner said he would take care of the eavesdropping, thanks to his little microphone gizmo. However, Wesker knew that Will had a tendency to forget things when he got distracted with the ton of work he had to deal with. Ada, at least, was able to get some information from other agents, as well as digging into HCF's database without getting caught to see what was going on.

"Wait a minute. Doesn't Spencer have meetings with some of the other pharmaceutical companies at least once a year? Maybe we can confront HCF about the crimes," Ada suggested.

"HCF is really the only one on its way to being Umbrella's biggest rival in the United States. KrinSol and BuC-E are nothing to worry about. If we decided to confront them, then Spencer better prepare for trouble," Wesker answered, flipping through some notes that another agent had wrote.

Night perked up while lying down beside Ada's legs. His cropped ears, which were bent backwards as he listened in on their conversation, suddenly went up and forward. He got to his paws, facing the door. The Doberman slightly growled, then went on to bark twice. The doorbell went off, and then Night went straight to the door. Wesker glanced at Ada, who was just as confused on who it could be. Wesker figured it could be Chris or William. However, his dog wasn't barking wildly like he usually did when they or strangers were at the door.

The Doberman stayed quiet, his nub tail wiggling excitedly while he stayed focused on the door. Wesker walked over and opened his front door. There was no one there, but he lowered his gaze to find Sherry grinning up at him. Her backpack was slung on her shoulder, and Wesker saw as the school bus just slipped away.

"Hi Uncle Albert! Daddy says that I was supposed to come over here after school! He and mama are working late, and Aunt Marsha had to go out of town!"

Wesker twitched a smile, moving to let the young girl inside. Sherry entered the house, Night greeting her with licks and excited steps. Sherry laughed and petted the Doberman while walking over to the couches. She saw Ada, and her smile grew even wider.

"Hello, Miss Ada!"

"Hey there, sweetie. How are you doing?"

"I'm good!" the blonde nine year old squeaked. She sat down beside Ada, laying her backpack beside her. She then went back to petting Night. "Yes, Night! I see you, boy!"

"Sherry, do you have homework?" Wesker asked.

"Yes sir!"

"Why don't you go grab yourself something in the kitchen and start on it? Ada and I have some work we need to discuss."

"Alright!"

William and Annette's daughter walked into the kitchen with her bag. Night watched her go, as did Wesker and Annette. The Doberman looked up at Wesker, slightly cocking his head.

"Go watch her," Wesker stated.

Night trotted off to join Sherry in the kitchen. Sighing, Wesker sat down in the chair across from Ada. Ada smiled, looking from the kitchen to Wesker.

"Let me guess. You had no idea that Sherry was coming, did you?"

"No. It must be William's little treat for me. She comes over once in awhile after school if Annette's sister cannot watch her and I am not underground with William or at the precinct."

"For a watchdog, Night sure does like her."

Wesker shrugged. "He loves Sherry. He is her sitter more than I am while I am here."

Ada laughed. "Why do I find that not hard to believe?"

Wesker's cell phone started to ring. He recognized William's ring tone and answered it. He stood up to take the call. Ada watched him from the couch.

"Yes?"

"_How is Sherry?" _William asked on the other side.

"She is doing her homework. What is going on?"

"_Marsha had to go out of town, and Annette and I are stuck underground for at least another three hours before we can even think about leaving. I got this secret project going on…and well…it kinda went wrong. But, don't worry! I fixed it! Thanks for watching her!"_

"Did I have a choice? What secret project?"

"_Nope. Oh, and the secret project is a secret. You won't have a chance getting it out of me."_

"I could just ask Annette."

"_More importantly, I have something you will like to hear."_

"Oh?" Wesker asked, interested. William's tone made him even more curious.

"_I was able to listen in on Salin's conversations, recording them also, mind you. He did call Alexander…but it wasn't Alexander. He talked to Alexia and Alfred."_

Wesker scrunched his eyebrows, his eyes rising to see Ada. Since he didn't have his sunglasses on, their eyes were able to lock completely. Wesker absently put down the notes he had in his hand onto the coffee table.

"Really. How interesting. Tell me more."

"_Those greedy little bastards are trying to steal everything out from under Spencer's nose! I don't know what happened to Alexander, but I have a feeling he is dead. The good thing is, Salin has yet to copy the documents and send them off. We need to take this to Spencer."_

"And if he refuses to do anything about Salin?" Wesker asked, looking over into the kitchen. He could see part of Sherry from the doorway, sitting at the table doing her homework while Night sat beside her.

"_Then it's all you. I know you are just itching to get rid of him."_

Wesker eased a smirk. "Let's first discuss this matter with our dear lord first."

"_Did I just hear you correctly? Oh well, it doesn't matter. Look, I have to go now. Annette's calling. I will see you when we come to pick up Sherry. Oh, and after you get off tomorrow, don't forget to get your ass over to the house with Ada. Then, we will flip a coin to see who is putting together a bookshelf, and who is cooking."_

"I will hold you to that," Wesker stated, then flipped his cell phone shut.

"So what was William up to?"

"The usual. You will get to see him and Annette when they come to pick up Sherry. So, let's get back to business, shall we?"

Ada smiled at him, nodding. She leaned forward so they could get back to where they left off. "So, who is cooking tomorrow? You or William? William told me that you volunteered yourself, but he was going to try and trick you into doing the bookshelf. He also said that you wanted to cook only to impress me."

"You will learn that my loving partner talks a lot of crap," Wesker chuckled. "But, if you would prefer, you can be a judge to see who can cook better."

"Now that's the perfect job," Ada chuckled.

* * *

**This was a shorter chapter than I hoped for, but that's okay. Things will start to pick up from here, especially between Ada and Wesker, Salin, Marcus, John, and some of Umbrella's major development. Again, I plan on taking this story through RE2 and maybe even Code Veronica. I'm thinking this should be a little shorter than Cat and Mouse. Cat and Mouse should end in the early thirty chapters, and this one I'm expecting to finish by late twenties. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	15. Chapter 14: Indifference

**Chapter 14: Indifference**

"Did you really need to come along?" Wesker asked as he and William walked side by side along the hallways towards Spencer's study.

"What's that supposed to mean? I recorded it, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you are supposed to be underground with Annette, are you not?"

"And you are supposed to be at the precinct, are you not?" William snorted sarcastically. "You are late there a lot, aren't you? Must be the life…being Captain of S.T.A.R.S and coming in when you feel like it."

Passing researchers, agents, and guests moved out of their way as they headed for the lord's study room. Wesker checked his watched, noting that he was already an hour late to work. He pulled out his cell phone after straightening his sunglasses. He was unsurprised to see two missed calls and a voicemail from Chris. He left his phone on silent and slipped it back into his pocket.

William knocked on the door to Spencer's room. There came no answer from the other side. Wesker heard soft voices coming from the other side of the door, and they stopped when William knocked. William knocked again, only much louder.

"Do you have to be so loud?" Wesker sighed.

"Well, he's old. Maybe he didn't hear," William laughed. Wesker could only chuckle at him.

The door opened before them. Colonel Sergei Vladimir stood there in the threshold looking down on them. The silver-haired Russian grinned upon realizing who they were.

"Well, look who it is! It is the Terrible Two. How are you, comrades?"

"Just peachy, Sergei. Now let us in," William answered.

"Hold on there, small fry. I have yet to finish my business with the lord."

The Russian Colonel shut the door in William's face. Wesker folded his arms just as his partner turned to face him. William was glaring at him, annoyed.

"Small fry?! I will show him!"

"Better not, Will."

The door reopened. The Colonel stepped out, smiling wickedly down at them. Sergei waved them off as he walked by to go his own way.

"See you later, comrades."

"What a tool," William growled, and stalked into the study room. Wesker glared after Sergei, before following his partner inside. He shut the door behind him, only to see Lord Spencer lift his head up from some papers at his desk.

"Albert, William, good morning. How can I help you two?"

"We have an important matter to discuss, Lord Spencer," William stated, looking over at Wesker.

"Yes?"

"Salin has been acting suspiciously for a couple of days, so we decided to microchip him. I recorded some of his conversations. I think it would be best if you hear them for yourself," William explained.

He handed the tape player over. Spencer looked both confused and unsure. He regarded them with suspicious looks. Wesker remained standing while William flopped down into one of the chairs. Spencer hit play on the tape.

"_Miss Alexia? Mister Alfred? I am currently getting as much information as I can from Spencer. I will be sending you all that I can acquire, especially the particular interests you have,"_ Salin said on the player.

"_That is wonderful, Gregory. Keep up the good work. I look forward to receiving the data. You make sure Spencer doesn't find out about this, or what has happened here on Rockfort,"_ came Alexia Ashford's icy voice. Wesker saw William gagging in his chair. He was looking over at Wesker while sticking a finger in his mouth.

"_Of course, Milady."_

"_The T-Veronica is in its finishing stages, and we need all the data we can before we complete the Nosferatu Project," _came Alfred Ashford's high-pitched voice.

"_I understand. I will report again in 24 hours. By then, I shall have received all of it and will be sending it in," _Salin answered. The tape player then stopped, ending the recording and silencing the study.

The old man looked completely taken by surprise. He gawked up at Wesker and William. William took the tape back, and let Spencer cool off.

"What happened to Alexander?" the lord asked.

"We have no idea, sir, but I have a bad feeling he is dead," William replied, shaking his head.

"We must confront Gregory about this," Spencer said, scowling.

"And then let him run back to the twins? That would be a mistake, Lord Spencer," Wesker stated lowly.

"So then what else can we do? Drop him?" Spencer asked. The old man then snorted and chuckled contemptuously. "You know what that would mean for your record, Albert. You have already killed your father, and now here you are proposing to kill your own uncle? With Salin I can understand giving the circumstances. But to this day, you have yet to tell me a legitimate reason on why you killed Andric."

"Let's not stray from the problem at hand, my lord," Wesker growled.

"I hate the proposal as much as you do, Lord Spencer, but Wesker is right. If we let Salin go after this, then he will run back to Alexia and Alfred and it will break out into plenty of problems for the corporation," William explained.

"So what do you suggest we do after we kill him?" Spencer asked, wincing as he leaned back in his chair.

"William and I will take care of Salin. All you need to do is call the African bases and tell them that Salin had an accident here in Raccoon City and died. The supervisors there will call the Ashfords…there is no doubt about that."

Spencer beheld Wesker for a moment, considering the younger man's words. William and Wesker glanced at each other, noticing that Spencer was buying it. William turned back to look at the old lord. He leaned forward in his seat to give Spencer a small smile.

"That way it doesn't bring up matters. It was just an accident. And if Alexia and Alfred decide to send in another snoop, then we will take it up from there to do something about it. There is no telling what they are planning with the T-Veronica virus, or with this Nosferatu Project, and we need to try and find out what happened to Alexander."

"Fine," Spencer sighed. "Kill him tonight before he submit's the data to them. Before you do kill him, however, try and get him to talk. I will inform James not to interfere. Your best bet is to kill him in the Training Facility. I want his body dumped in the sewers with the rest of the disposables. You won't have to worry about letting anyone see you there. The workers understand when agents are there to drop someone and dump the body. The only problem is tricking him to go there."

"Don't worry. We have a plan," Wesker answered, nodding his head.

"Very well. You two are dismissed. Thank you for bringing this to me. It seems we have more trouble than just HCF."

"Apparently so," William mumbled, wondering while rubbing his five o'clock shadow.

***

Wesker understood why it was Chris who called him instead of Barry. Barry was off for the day, and so that left Chris in charge until Wesker got there. Chris wasn't too worried about Wesker; it was just the fact that Chief Irons was grilling his ass for no reason just because Wesker wasn't there. Chris happily stepped down once Wesker walked through the door to the S.T.A.R.S office. Wesker wasn't surprised when he went to have a long talk with the Chief of Police. When he returned, he sent Brad and Joseph to go assist an armored truck for the bank. Chris and Jill were going over a report of a domestic dispute while Wesker caught up on paperwork. Jill even moved over to Chris's desk so they could work one on one.

Wesker noticed that the fax machine had several papers waiting for him. He got to his feet to go collect them. All the while, he was thinking about how he and William were going to trick Salin into the Training Facility. He scanned through the papers, noticing one of them was a note from Robert Kendo Apparently, the S.T.A.R.S new issue of gun was ready; the Samurai Edge. Twitching a smile, Wesker looked over to Chris and Jill.

"Aren't you two bored with that?" he asked.

Chris slightly smiled. "Well, yeah, but it's part of our job."

"So much fun," Jill sighed, though she feigned a smile.

"Robert Kendo is done modifying our new handguns. Let's head over there and pick them up. I'm sure you are dying to try it out, Chris."

Chris's grin was like that of a little boy's. He jumped to his feet, patting Jill's shoulder, and went to grab his stuff. Jill was right behind him, and the three of them left the precinct to go to Kendo's gun shop.

***

While Wesker checked all the new handguns that Kendo made for them, the modified M9F2, called the Samurai Edge, he let Chris and Jill try out their guns. They had plenty of Samurai Edge guns for all members of S.T.A.R.S, and as Wesker checked the guns, he was impressed. Barry had an old friend in Robert Kendo, and the 42 year old gun shop owner always proved to be the best with modifications.

Chris was very much enjoying his Samurai Edge, and he blew bull's-eyes through every target out on the gun range. Jill was right behind him, her Delta Force experience showing through as she handled the gun with ease.

Just as Wesker was locking up the other guns in the cases, Jill and Chris were finishing up. They walked over to their Captain. Jill had already holstered her Samurai Edge, while Chris finished reloading his.

"Good 'ol Kendo. He sure knows how to make a gun," Chris stated, smiling at them.

"I know. These are great. I think the whole team will like them," Jill said, nodding in agreement.

"Agreed," Wesker answered, looking up at them. He handed Chris one of the cases, and he carried the other.

They went back up to their office, where Wesker handed his case to Jill. She and Chris sat the cases up in the safe, and Wesker decided to sit down to go through the rest of the fax papers. Jill and Chris got back to work, and only a moment later, did Brad and Joseph come in.

"Geez, I hate assisting those damn trucks," Joseph heaved, sitting down next to Chris and Jill. He got to work with them. Brad sat down too, looking relieved to be back in the office.

Wesker hardly looked up. He took a drink out of his water bottle, and flipped through more pages. Wesker decided to give them their new guns. Looking at the time, Wesker realized it was close for Enrico's shift. He was ready to get out of here anyway.

***

Later that evening, Wesker brought Ada and Night over to William and Annette's house for the dinner. Night played with Sherry. Wesker decided to help William with the bookshelf before they started cooking. It would give the two women plenty of time to talk and do their own thing.

"Daddy, look!" Sherry laughed.

William jumped in surprise at his daughter's sudden voice, cracking his head on one of the shelves. Rubbing his head, he grumbled and looked over his shoulder. Sherry was holding onto Night while she rode on his back. The Doberman's nub tail was wiggling, and he panted in excitement.

"That's nice, sweetie. Go show your mom."

"Okay! Come on, boy!"

"That hurt. I hope I don't get a hemotoma on the brain," Will sighed, rubbing the top of his head.

Wesker rolled his eyes. "Are you done yet?"

"Yes! You are impatient! You know that!"

"Will, we don't have much time. We need to get back to the estate by nine if we are going to take Salin out tonight."

"Alright, alright. I don't know what you are cooking, but I am totally cooking my special barbeque chicken! Beat that, buddy!" William laughed, heading for the kitchen while still rubbing his head.

Ada and Annette were sitting at the kitchen table talking while enjoying a glass of wine. Sherry continued playing with Night in the living room. When the men entered the kitchen, the women looked up.

"It's about time. We're starving," Annette stated, smiling.

"For being a genius, William isn't very good at putting a bookshelf together," Wesker answered dully.

William glared at his partner. "Hey now. It's all of those cheap, childproof pieces they have."

"Did you bump your head or something?" Ada asked. "You keep rubbing right there."

"Yes. It hurts. I might be bleeding in the brain, I hit it so hard."

Annette snorted. "You are such a hypochondriac sometimes. Would you like me to get you a band-aid, honey?"

"No, but you can get out my special sauce for my chicken. So do it now, woman!" William said, grinning. Annette glared at him and William immediately stepped back towards Wesker. "I mean please get me my special sauce, baby."

"That's more like it, hon."

Ada snickered as Ann got up to go to the other refrigerator in the utility room in the back. William rubbed his palms together, looking ambitious now as he glared at his partner. He smiled over at Ada, who took another sip of her wine.

"Are you ready for one badass meal, Ada?" Will asked.

"Badass? Ooh, sounds good."

"I'm making my special barbeque chicken…it is a secret family recipe past on from my mother and so on! What are you cooking, Al?"

"Just for the fact that we are in your house doesn't mean I can't still deck you in the face for calling me that."

"Whoa, geez."

"I'm making pasta by the way."

"Pff! Pasta?" Will snorted. "My chicken is definitely going to win then." William then yelped out upon feeling pain on his ankle. He looked down and saw Night play biting on him. "Ouch! Night, you scoundrel! I wasn't ready! Down, boy!"

Wesker came around to Ada, tossing his keys and sunglasses onto the table for now. Ada smiled up at him. Annette came back from the utility room, carrying an unmarked jar of barbeque sauce.

"This has got to be one of the most interesting nights of my life," Ada said.

"There is no doubt about that when you are here," Wesker answered, nodding.

***

"Now, why are we coming to the Training Facility again? I really have no business here. James has already informed me of how the progress is going here," Salin grumbled as he followed behind Wesker and William.

"Ugh, I think I ate too much," William grumbled. "Oh, man. I freaking have heartburn."

"You did it to yourself, Will."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Am I going unnoticed?" Salin snapped.

The Training Facility was busy tonight. Wesker remember their dear mentor, James Marcus, saying something about being behind on a certain project. Wesker didn't worry about it too much. The only time he had to worry about Marcus's turf was when he had to come here once a month as information officer to do reports for Spencer. He and William only needed to worry about getting Salin down into the Sewage Treatment Plant and dispose of him.

"Relax," William said, glancing back at Wesker's uncle. "Spencer just wanted us to show you down into the Sewage Treatment Plant."

"What is so important about that?" Salin asked, glancing around as they headed through the departments of the Training Facility.

"There are a lot of disposed experiments Spencer thought you could collect information on. You might be able to make profit off of them when you return to Africa," Will explained.

"There is also a report he wants us to give you. One that can help you in Africa," Wesker added, glancing at his partner.

"Why didn't Spencer just ask James to do it?"

"Our mentor is a busy man. And as much as Wesker and I are busy as well, we just so happen to be lower on the food chain. Spencer makes us do some odd things just to waste our time."

Wesker smiled at William's words. The elevator that led to the Sewage Treatment Plant was just ahead. Before they could reach it, James Marcus stepped out of a nearby laboratory and saw them walking by. Wesker readied himself for trouble. Marcus probably didn't want to see Salin murdered, and there was no telling if he would go against his lord's orders or not.

"Hey, you three," Marcus greeted, smiling weakly. Wesker could tell that his mentor was very aware of their reason for being here. And like a good, loyal follower, he went on to obey Spencer's orders. "Salin, I hope you enjoy the data down in the Sewage Treatment Plant. I apologize for not telling you beforehand…it just slipped my mind."

Salin nodded at Marcus, though Wesker could tell that his uncle was starting to get uneasy. He was becoming aware of something being wrong. "It's fine, James. You have a lot of things on your mind, and have a busy schedule. I can relate, giving my position over in Africa. I thank you for this offer."

Marcus swallowed hard. "You are welcome, old friend. Take care. I know my boys will watch over you."

"Yes, I'm sure they will."

Wesker and William turned their backs on Salin and Marcus, heading for the elevator. The two partners smirked at one another. Salin dipped his head at Marcus for a farewell, not knowing that it was his last farewell to the great James Marcus he will ever do. Salin got into the elevator, and Will hit the bottom to go to the bottom, B9.

They became quiet as they came out into the sewer system. They walked the paths, heading for the area where they dumped the failures. There weren't near as many researchers down here. The Sewage Treatment Plant was massive, covering a good percentage of the Spencer estate, as well as all of the Treatment Facility. Though it came nowhere close to the sewer system under Raccoon City, here it was a labyrinth of rivers, tunnels, and laboratories.

Wesker slowed his pace as they were reaching the area. It was a balcony that overlooked a pit of garbage, disposables, failed experiments, and rotting corpses. Salin came to the edge of the railing, looking over in awe at the disturbing scene. The smell was almost unbearable. William was turning green in the face.

"Gah, it smells like Death had diarrhea down here!"

"This is it?" Salin asked, looking over to them, then back down into the pit. "There is no way to get down there."

He heard the echoing click of a gun being cocked. Salin's eyes widened, and he jerked around. William was already back at Wesker's side. Wesker had the gun aimed directly at his uncle's face, a light smile on his handsome face.

"There is only one way down," Wesker sneered.

"And no way out," Will said, smirking.

"What is this?" Salin snarled, looking between them.

"You have been a bad boy, Gregory Salin. I recorded your conversation with the Ashford twins and took it to Spencer. We were appointed to take care of you personally for your treachery. We simply just can't allow you to leave here alive," William explained.

"What?! You have me all wrong! Albert, you can't kill your own uncle!"

"I killed my father easily. How could you be any different, hmm?"

"If you have any love or respect for Andrea than you won't do it!" Salin spat.

Wesker slightly lowered the gun, pulling the trigger. The blast echoed across the chamber, and the bullet hit home in Salin's kneecap. His uncle cried out in agony, falling onto one knee to cradle the other. Blood was spilling out through his fingers.

"What are the twins planning to do with the T-Veronica virus? And what is the Nosferatu Project?" Wesker asked coolly.

"You bastard," Salin hissed, glaring at his nephew. "You are going to kill me anyway, so why should I tell you anything?"

"Is Alexander dead?" William asked.

"Fuck you!"

Wesker re-aimed the pistol, shooting a bullet through his other kneecap. Salin fell onto the floor, crying in pain. His uncle had more strength than he thought, because the older man tried to crawl to his feet, using the railing as help. It was no use though, his knees were gone. He sat there on the floor, staring up at Wesker and William.

"You really should just tell us everything. Otherwise, we are going to be here all night with your loving nephew torturing it out of you. I don't think I will have the stomach to watch. So, why don't you just spill it out already?" William growled.

"Never."

Another shot went off. This time the bullet went through the hand Salin was using to hold the railing. Another yowl of agony echoed across the chamber. William grimaced at the noise.

"Geez, he isn't going to talk. He sounds like a dying animal. Just kill him already."

"I know human anatomy well, uncle. I can keep you alive as long as I wish torturing you until you tell me the answers we need to know. You might as well save yourself the suffering," Wesker said dryly.

Salin was gasping for air. He sat there for a moment, a slow puddle of blood starting to form at his legs. Tears were coming from his eyes because of the pain, but he could only hiss and gasp for air.

"A-alright! Alexander…is dead! He is t-the masterpiece behind the N-Nosferatu Project. Alexia and Alfred did it themselves. A-as for the…the T-Veronica virus, I don't know!"

"Sure you do! You were talking to them about it!" William exclaimed.

"They…gave me no details…j-just orders to help them w-with it," Salin seethed.

"Aw, c'mon," William growled, scratching the back of his head.

"He's telling the truth," Wesker stated, glaring through his sunglasses at his uncle. "He has no details on the twins' plans for the T-Veronica virus."

"If you say so," Will sighed.

"Thank you for your help…uncle."

"W-wait! Albert, don't do this! Please! I can help you!"

"Your death can help me all the same," Wesker answered icily, and then pulled the trigger once more. The bullet pierced through Salin's forehead, making his uncle drop dead in an instant.

Wesker holstered his weapon. He and William walked over to the dead and bloody body of Gregory Salin. Together they picked him up and swung him over the railing of the balcony. He fell three stories to the bottom, landing on top of a pile of garbage and a dead B.O.W. The two partners didn't exchange any words as they headed back up to the surface, where a dark, moonless night awaited them.

* * *

**Gotta love William, lol. Oh, this just keeps getting better and better in my head. Now that Salin is dead, maybe there will be more trouble from HCF and this elusive Mr. Smith. And of course things will heat up between Ada and Wesker, mwahahahaha! As for James Marcus...he just might be next on Wesker's 'To Kill' List....ahem....Thanks for reading!!! XD**


	16. Chapter 15: The Hunter

**Chapter 15: The Hunter**

The night was cool and wet. The dark clouds above were just passing through, sending down showers here and there as they traveled by. Summer was drawing to a close, and already now Wesker could see the leaves starting to fall and die.

He and Nicholai stood outside in the courtyard, alone and guided only by the courtyard's lamps. The Russian was quiet for a moment, his head lowered as he thought while Wesker waited patiently.

"It seems Mr. Smith is going to be a difficult man to get acquainted with. He lives in France, just outside Paris actually. That is also where the Headquarters of HCF are located, no?" Nicholai asked.

"Correct," Wesker answered, folding his arms. It would be difficult to get to Mr. Smith while he was in France. And though Wesker spoke many languages, French happened to have not been one of them. If he was to somehow make a trip to France to get under Mr. Smith's plans, he would need to take a partner. The only four people he knew to speak it were Ada, William, Annette, and Lord Spencer. His best bet would be Ada or William.

"However, I was able to gather something quite interesting. It seems that Umbrella is forming a meeting to be held here in Raccoon. Mr. Smith will be coming to represent HCF. KrinSol and BuC-E will also be attending the meeting."

"How interesting. I remember Spencer mentioning something of the sort. This meeting may be our only option to see if Mr. Smith has been doing the crimes by sending in his dogs."

Nicholai nodded, slightly smiling. "I can only imagine what you have up your sleeve, comrade."

"I appreciate your info, Nicholai."

"Any time," the Russian answered.

Wesker watched as Nicholai departed, leaving to go through the large shed to take the pathway back to the mansion. Wesker would wait, and then follow him. There was no need to let anyone know that the two of them have been talking. He thought about Nicholai's words, knowing that the upcoming meeting would be his only chance to persuade Mr. Smith into his web.

_If I can get Mr. Smith to believe my story, then I might just be heading in the right direction sooner than I thought._

With a small smirk, Wesker followed on behind the Russian soldier of Colonel Sergei Vladimir. It seemed now that he only had a few obstacles in his way. There was John Howe, his dear mentor James Marcus, and of course the ever most respected Lord Ozwell E. Spencer. All three needed to be taken care of in the best possible manner. Wesker was sure that Marcus's turn was coming up soon. He just needed to persuade William into thinking that getting rid of their mentor would be the best thing.

***

"Hey Claire! How are you?!"

"Hey Jill! I'm good! It is so good to see you again!"

Claire and Jill hugged briefly, and then Claire pulled back to look around the S.T.A.R.S office. Chris was beside his younger sister, grinning. Barry came through the door a moment later, carrying a cup of coffee. The older man smiled upon seeing Claire.

"Well, look who it is! Hey there, sport!"

"Hi Berry! I was hoping you would be working today! I already stopped by to see Karen and the girls."

"How's college?" Barry asked as he walked to his desk. The S.T.A.R.S Alpha Team had just come back from their afternoon break. It was good to see that Claire stopped by for a little visit while she was down seeing her brother.

"Oh, it's college," Claire chuckled.

Brad and Joseph came in side by side. Joseph had a bottle of soda with a few snacks, while Brad only carried a bottled water. The two young men perked up upon seeing Claire, and came over.

"Down boys," Chris warned through a joking tone.

"But it's not everyday we get to see a pretty lady here!" Joseph laughed. He then received an evil glare from Jill. "I-I mean besides Jill!"

"It's good to see you again, Claire," Brad said.

"And you too, Brad," Claire giggled.

"Did you eat anything?" Chris asked his sister.

"Yeah, I ate at Karen's. I already thanked her, but can you please thank her again when you get home, Barry?"

"Of course!"

There came knocking on the S.T.A.R.S office door. The Alpha Team looked over curiously, wondering who it could be. Barry called them in, and they saw Marvin Branagh enter with some papers. He looked around the office for a moment, and then smiled as he walked over.

"Hey, Marv! What's up?" Chris asked.

"Has anyone seen Captain Wesker?" Marvin asked. "I have these reports that Chief Irons wanted him to look through."

"Captains get extra long evening breaks," Joseph snorted.

Chris glared at him for a moment, then back to Marvin. "It's not like him to be late. I don't know where he is."

"I saw him leave at break," Brad stated.

"That's great. We probably won't see him until ten minutes before our shift ends," sighed Jill, rolling her eyes.

"Shh! He has demonic hearing! He can hear you say those kinds of things from across the city!" Joseph hissed.

"Don't mind him," Barry heaved. "If you want, you can give them to us. We can hand them over when he comes in."

"Unless it is a direct order from Chief Irons to give it to Wesker and only Wesker. We wouldn't want to piss off our sniveling bastard of a Chief of Police, would we?" Chris snorted, folding his arms.

His team and his sister chuckled to themselves. Marvin smiled, trying to hide it though he failed miserably. "I am gonna pretend I didn't hear that."

"You are going to get fired one of these days, Chris," Brad informed, shaking his head.

"Not by Irons. He isn't my supervisor; Wesker is. The only way I am getting fired is if he fires me."

"Well, here are the reports. Thank you for taking them."

"No problem, Marv. Take care."

"You guys as well," Marvin answered, leaving the S.T.A.R.S office.

"Oh, can we look and see what they are?" Joseph asked.

"No," Barry replied, shaking his head. "These are for Wesker. If Wesker wants us to see them, then we will see them."

"You are no fun, Barry!"

"I better get going," Claire said, drawing everyone's attention.

"Are you leaving? Or did you decide to stay one more night and leave in the morning?" Chris asked.

Claire laughed. "I will stay one more night. Don't have a cow, big brother! I am just going to leave so you can get back to work!"

"That's more like it! I will see you when I get home!"

"Alright, bye. See ya everyone!"

"Bye, Claire!" everyone called in unison.

Claire started for the door to leave the S.T.A.R.S office. When she was nearing it, the door was pushed open. Claire paused to wait. They all saw Albert Wesker walk in with coffee in one hand and his keys in the other. His sunglasses gleamed in the overhead fluorescent lights. His lips twitched into a barely noticeable smirk when he saw Claire.

"I didn't know we had a new recruit."

"Hah! Claire! A S.T.A.R.S member? She would not last one day!" Joseph laughed.

"Frost, give me twenty."

"What?!"

"Do it."

"Dammit!"

"I was just leaving," Claire said, looking back and slightly smiling as Joseph got down to do his pushups.

Wesker watched her with interest as she headed out. "You have yourself a wonderful day, Miss Redfield."

"Thanks," Claire grunted. "You too."

After Chris's sister left, Wesker went to his desk. Chris and Jill went back to theirs. Brad slunk down in his, and Joseph grumbled the entire time, even until he sat down in his desk. Barry got up from his desk, going over to his Captain to hand over the reports.

"Marvin came by. He said these reports are for you from Irons."

"Irons? Do I always get so lucky?" Wesker snorted, his tone full of snide. Chris, Jill, and Joseph snickered to themselves in the back.

He looked through the reports. One was the results of the drug heist from earlier this week. The other was the outcome of the missing child alert. Enrico and his team had found the missing boy last week. This was just paperwork that Wesker needed to sign and hand back to pig-man. Sighing, he flopped the reports down. He leaned back in his chair, putting his boots up on the desk and folding his hands behind his head. Tonight after he went home, he would need to go underground with William and Annette all night. It was a shame. Wesker really wanted to see Ada tonight. Tomorrow night would be no different, as Wesker would be acting as supervisor over in the Training Facility with Marcus.

***

"So, you are saying that they increased the Eliminator's aggression?" Will asked, sipping his cup of coffee.

Wesker hardly paid any attention as Ann nodded, blowing on her fresh cup of coffee as they sat down to take a break from the tests. Her husband snorted disdainfully, waving her off like she was crazy.

"Screw them fools. Just wait until my secret surprise is ready! It will put those poor Eliminators to shame!"

Ann smiled a little. "You sure have been focusing more attention on this single base than even the G-virus. Are you okay, honey?"

"Oh, yes. This new B.O.W will surely top out the list. In fact, I think it will be better than the Tyrant research, only because there are fools in that department. The Tyrant is going to be a failure, but this original, small weapon that I have created will surely be in high demand."

"High demand?" Wesker echoed, his attention now drawn. "You must be working hard on this new research then. Are you that confident in it?"

"I'm that confident in myself. Why? Do you doubt me, Albert?" William retorted, smiling ambitiously.

"Oh, don't start, Will," sighed Annette.

Wesker smirked as he got up to wash out his empty mug of coffee. He needed to tell William about Nicholai's findings, but he would have to wait until Annette wasn't around. Looking at his wristwatch, Wesker saw that he still had a couple of hours left before their shift would end here under the city of Raccoon City for the night.

Annette and William got up to head back to work. William started singing YMCA to himself as he cleaned out his mug. Wesker blocked the noise out and went to follow Annette, but then the break room door started knocking. It must have been one of the researchers coming to them for a question or something of the sort.

"Come in," Ann stated. The door entered. It wasn't one of their researchers at all. It was Ada. Surprised, Wesker, William, and Annette looked at each other. Ada smiled, shutting the door behind her. She was wearing black dress pants, high heels, and a turquoise blouse. A light, black jacket was hanging over her arms.

"Ada, what a surprise," Annette greeted sincerely, though she glanced back as if to accuse Wesker.

"Good evening. I apologize. I was sent by Spencer to talk to Wesker," Ada answered, dipping her head.

"He couldn't just use a phone?" William asked curiously. He received a hard elbow to the ribs from his wife. "Ouch! I didn't mean it like that! Sheesh!"

Wesker walked around to join Annette and William. Ada only smiled and slightly laughed at William's words. She nodded at them. "Yeah. At almost ten in the evening, I asked the same exact thing. But apparently, he wants me to also go through the security system of the base and the computers to make sure everything is good."

"Does he think my security isn't good enough?" William growled, folding his arms.

"I am sure it isn't that, Will. I think Spencer just wants to be safe. They are having that meeting with all of the companies next week, and he wants to make sure everything is going perfectly."

"That's just great," William heaved.

"We better get back to work. I'm sure Wesker will show you around. If not, please come to me. William gets lost half the time."

"Hey! I do not! It's not my fault that Section 1 and Section 2 look exactly the same!"

"Thanks, Ann. I will remember that," Ada replied.

Annette and William left the break room to get back to work. Wesker and Ada remained alone in the quiet for a few minutes. Wesker walked over to the coffee machine, preparing a mug of coffee for Ada.

"Coffee?"

"Thank you," she answered. "You guys really need a map down here. It's like a labyrinth."

"Yes, it is," Wesker chuckled.

"Spencer wants you and William at the meeting next week. He is also having Sergei, Nicholai, and some of his men to come along. I think I will be the only agent, unless he decides to assign more. Marcus, John, and Emerson are also coming along."

"That is a large number of people to bring to a meeting that might incite some trouble."

"That is what I said…especially with Sergei coming along. He and his men have been known to provoke the enemy. Spencer wants to keep it as neutral as possible, but he also wants to confront Mr. Smith about letting the dogs loose and the mercenary attacks on the estate," Ada explained.

"Has a meeting place been decided yet?"

"I think Spencer said that Irons has allowed the meeting to take place in the old storage warehouse just outside of the city. As for the time and other details, I have no idea yet."

"How interesting this is going to be."

"Why?" Ada asked, taking a sip of her coffee. She smiled seductively up at him. "Do you and William have something up your sleeves?"

"Now why would you accuse us of something like that?" Wesker chuckled.

"I don't know. Maybe it's a hunch," Ada joked.

"Would you like me to show you around?" Wesker inquired.

"Certainly. I need to make sure that William's security is as good as he says it is."

"Oh, it is good, but you mustn't let down dear Lord Spencer now, shall we?"

***

The underground tunnels and laboratories beneath Raccoon City were larger than Ada could have ever imagined. She still couldn't fathom how the workers knew the passages so well. Ada was quite impressed with William's security that he had created himself, and found nothing that she needed to press Spencer about. Apparently, Lord Ozwell E. Spencer was beginning to worry a little too much with the threat of Mr. Smith becoming a promise. She also wasn't surprised to see that William and Annette ran the place. Wesker was a supervisor while he was here, but Ada also knew that Wesker wasn't down here near as much as his partner was.

"Wow. I am impressed. I haven't seen a security system like this in…years. Only back at Umbrella's Headquarters in Europe," Ada said, smiling.

"You question my genius?" came that voice she knew too well.

Ada and Wesker turned to see William and Annette. William was grinning like a little boy, his head held high and chest pushed out like a proud leader. Annette rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"Oh dear. Here we go," she mumbled.

"Ada, my dear. You mustn't doubt such prowess that is my own! Here, allow me to explain the basics of this simple system I created."

"I don't think she has all night to stay, Will," Wesker put in. Annette chuckled behind her husband. Ada suspected it was because of Wesker's smart-aleck words.

"You think you are funny, but you are not!" William barked.

"Ah, Dr. Birkin?" came a meek voice. They noticed that a researcher had slipped in among them.

"Yes, Theodore?"

"Your ah…Super Duper Awesome Secret Test Subject is ready."

"Yes! Thank you, Theodore! I will be right over!"

Ada was puzzled, and desperately trying not to laugh. "Super Duper Awesome Secret Test Subject?"

"Yeah! I have been working secretly on the SDASTS Project for months, and now it is finally ready!"

"He is unworried at all that it sounds like a child's game. Can you name it anything less serious?" Annette asked, sighing.

"Fine, fine. I will tell you the actual name. I couldn't risk telling the real name, because then I would have been hassled nonstop about the progress!" Will grumbled. "It is called the Hunter Project."

"Hunter Project?" Ada asked, now curious.

"Ah, I see Ada is interested. Why don't we go down to the arena, where I will unleash my new B.O.W?"

"Albert, did you have anything to do with this?" Annette growled.

"I assure you, Ann, I did not."

They followed William down deeper underground to where they tested some of the deadliest B.O.W specimens. William ordered them to release his newest creation. Ada watched in horror as they raised the titanium gate, and a large, reptilian creature came sprinting out. The screaming animal ran the length of the cage, which was barricaded by bullet proof glass. The B.O.W stood about a foot shorter than the average human. Its green, scaly body had powerful muscles, especially in the legs and long arms. The feet held long claws, but not near as long as the talons on the beast's arms. The head was covered in small spikes and bumps, with wild eyes and grotesque teeth.

Ada had never seen a B.O.W move so fast. This thing moved faster than even the Cerberus. William was giggling like a mad scientist. He tapped on the glass, making the creature howl and attack once more.

"Isn't she precious?"

"It is ugly," Annette stated.

"Ugly? I don't think I am too worried about looks, my dear," William snorted.

"This is the Hunter?" Ada asked

"Yes. The full name is the Hunter Alpha. I need to do more tests on it. If it fails to be perfect then I will start again. The Hunter Beta, if you would."

"It already looks like a killing machine," Ada answered.

"Do you want to see? A little killing never kills anyone, right? Well…you know what I mean! Theodore! Unleash a Cerberus into the holding!"

The titanium door was vault open again. A Doberman came rushing out, howling and zombie-like. It raced straight for the Hunter. The amphibian-like monster whirled around. It dodged both lunges of the dog, and with one powerful slash of its claws, the Cerberus was ripped in half. They then proceeded to watch as the Hunter tore the dog to pieces, yowling and screaming.

"So much for Emerson's masterpiece! The Cerberus already deems unworthy as an adversary! I win!"

"You don't actually win if Emerson isn't present, Will," sighed Wesker.

"Yeah, you're right. But don't worry. After a few more test runs, then I am presenting this to Spencer! Then I will show Emerson who is top researcher! And after him will be Roger and John…oh, sorry Ada."

"None taken."

Ada saw William grin proudly, while his wife only shook her head. Wesker seemed pretty interested in the creature himself. Ada also noticed the tiny smirk that curled at the corner of his lips. If this creature became an actual demand, then Ada was sure that Umbrella's B.O.W list was going to add one of the deadliest weapons…thanks to William Birkin.

* * *

**Things are starting to get interesting, no? Hahaha! Next chapter will include the meeting of this elusive, mysterious Mr. Smith. And don't worry, I am getting closer to the part where Ada and Wesker's relationship really heats up...if you know what I mean...hehehe! Speaking of which, that means that James Marcus's time is diminishing. Little does he know that his brilliant, evil apprentice is planning his assassination! Gasp! Okay, enough of that! I figured this chapter would be good to dive more into William's creations, particularly the Hunter...hence the chapter's title. Oh, yeah, and I absolutely mixing child-like wonder and evil genius madness into William's feelings for his creations...am I demented? *shrugs* Either way, I had fun writing this short chapter! I hope I can make the next one a little longer! I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know I did! My stomach is still stuffed!! LOL!! :D**


	17. Chapter 16: Entrust

**Chapter 16: Entrust**

The old warehouse was huge and dim, stranded about thirty miles east of Raccoon City, not far from the Ecliptic Express route to the Training Facility. The place was already filling with agents from each company, but Wesker hardly cared. The table for the higher-ups had already been situated. Wesker and William stood next to Dr. Marcus, while Lord Spencer had already taken his place at the table.

Ada stood behind him, but her eyes wandered over to Wesker and William. It was going to be a long, tense meeting. Sergei and a few of his men, one including Nicholai, stood not far to the side, ready for anything. Sensing movement had come on the other side of his mentor; Wesker glanced over to see John and Emerson show up.

"I don't know about you two, but I think this is a total waste of time," William heaved, looking at his wristwatch for the fifth time.

Marcus only chuckled at his apprentice. "Will, you must be patient. It will all be over soon enough. Right, Albert?"

"Of course. So long as it doesn't get ugly."

"I forgot why they call you Practical Al, but now I remember," Dr. Marcus snickered, smiling over at his apprentices.

"Isn't that a great nickname for him? Suits him perfectly!" William laughed.

"It's too bad that you don't like your first name, Albert," Marcus stated.

"It isn't that I don't like it," Wesker retorted, catching Ada's eye.

"I like the name Albert. Say, if Annette was to get pregnant and have a boy, could I name him Albert? I would rather name my son after you than…like…my father or something," William asked, grinning. "Sterling Birkin just doesn't sound right to me."

"No. That would be absurd, William."

"Fine, I will just name him after Albert Einstein. Because, my son could very well be the next Albert Einstein! I already consider myself at his level."

Marcus heaved a sigh, smiling and shaking his head. "You aren't egotistical at all, Will."

"I know you are being smart. Relax. Annette would kill me if I named our son Albert. No offense, Albert."

Marcus and William went on to chuckle to themselves, but Wesker only ignored them. Representatives from BuC-E and KrinSol were already coming in. Only a few sat down at the large table. Marcus moved forward to finally take his place next to Spencer. Emerson followed, sitting on the other side of Lord Spencer. John remained where he was next to William and Wesker.

Next came HCF's members. Mr. Smith led his small group of agents. He was a good-looking man that was probably ten to fifteen years older than Wesker and William. He wore a black suit here, with the tailcoat having HCF printed in gold above the left breast pocket. Mr. Smith's age, short black hair and icy green eyes made him all but the center of attention. Wesker could only smirk slightly at this elusive founder of HCF. Mr. Smith was easily the youngest leader here.

"Really? I was expecting an old geezer like Spencer," William whispered.

"I was expecting the same," Wesker responded.

"Are you two going to be talking like this through the meeting?" John growled.

"Relax, John. If you don't like it, then moved a few feet down," William said.

"I was told to stand here next to you two. We are the youngest researchers of Umbrella," John replied.

Mr. Smith sat down with a few of his researchers and agents. Finally, the meeting could begin. Everyone was in place, but Wesker had something up his sleeve for when the meeting was over. He would need to get Mr. Smith alone and have only minutes to gain the HCF's leader's trust. If Wesker could get within HCF, then his plans for Umbrella could truly be set.

"Greetings," Mr. Smith said respectfully. "Now that everyone is here, shall we start the meeting?"

"I already don't like him. See that sleazy smile?" William whispered.

"Yes. It reminds me of yours," Wesker answered.

"I know-hey!"

"Shh!" John hissed.

They received looks from Ada and Sergei. Lord Spencer cleared his throat rather loudly, getting the attention of the other founders. The old man sat up, glaring across at the younger founder.

"Mr. Smith, is it?"

"Yes. And let me say that it is an honor, Lord Spencer. I think I speak the truth when I say that none of our other companies would be here without the guidance of your corporation."

"There is little known about you, Mr. Smith. HCF has been here for almost twenty years now, and I must say, this is the first I have heard of you. You are the founder?" Spencer asked.

"No, my good sir. That would be my father. I just recently took over," the younger man replied, his eyes staring directly into Spencer.

"And your father was, exactly?" Marcus asked for Spencer.

"Yes, please enlighten us. I am sure that Mr. River of BuC-E and Mrs. Powell of KrinSol would love to know as well," Spencer stated, waving his hand towards the other founders.

"My father was Solomon Smith the First. I am the second, Lord Spencer."

"Why have you remained in shadow for so long? You and your father?"

"My father and I believed that it wasn't our place to gloat about HCF's success when it was not only our privilege to do so. We believed that belonged more to our researchers and mercenaries."

Lord Spencer looked as if he was going to say something in response to Mr. Smith's words, but then merely smiled. He nodded his head, his eyes still on the HCF's leader. "Thank you for filling us in, Mr. Smith. So, let's get down to business here. Mr. River, I hear you have some news for us."

The founder of BuC-E was not much younger than Ozwell E. Spencer himself. The older man was bound to a wheelchair thanks to an accident, but this did not change the power he had over his company and his people. "Yes. I think it is fair that we all know of situations that have taken place for the good of all of us. Though we are competitive here, without any others for competition, there is no longer a reason to strive higher. I just want to inform you that various black markets in Hanoi, Johannesburg, and Kabul have been apprehended. I only know this beforehand because I had agents in those cities. I suggest that your agents that handle those kinds of affairs take caution. We were all lucky this time."

"Thank you, Mr. River. We really appreciate that info," Mr. Smith said. The handsome founder then turned to Mrs. Powell of KrinSol. "How about you, Mrs. Powell? We talked earlier, and I am interested in your expansion."

The older woman smiled wryly. From Britain, the only female founder showed off her beauty and riches with her wardrobe and makeup. Wesker could only smirk at Mrs. Powell's daunting yet entrancing appearance. She may have been the only woman founder here at this table, but she was smart to when it came to running the business.

Mrs. Powell glanced around the table, her face almost bored as if she thought it to be a waste of time sitting here with all of these men. "That is the only reason why I am here. And it is only because I had a break in other matters. To make it to the point, let's just say that I had a group of black knights take over the young company known as Brite Inc. I will be announcing it at the end of the week that KrinSol has bought it out and will merge together. We suspect that this will increase our annual gross by one million a year."

"That is quite interesting, Mrs. Powell. Congratulations! And how about you, Lord Spencer? Any news of Umbrella you would like to share?" Mr. Smith continued.

Lord Spencer thinned his lips, his eyes narrowing. He and Marcus sat forward, making Ada slightly move behind them. In turn, Sergei, Nicholai, and the few Russian soldiers with them tensed.

"I'm only curious, you see," Spencer said. "Lately, there has been some trouble at the Arklay Research Facility. Somebody has been letting the dogs loose, and there have been a couple accounts of mercenary attacks. I have been working with Mr. River and Mrs. Powell to know how they work, but you are quite new here, Mr. Smith. I know those were your mercenaries. I have proof."

Mr. Smith was quiet for a moment, surprised by the open attack towards him. His agents and few soldiers tensed, as if unsure whether to retaliate for Spencer's accusation. The handsome young leader shook his head, bringing up his palms slightly to show that he meant no harm.

"I assure you, Lord Spencer, none of that was my doing. There has been some trouble within HCF since I have taken over from my father. There are men who believe I don't belong in my father's place. There must be some ruffians doing this to try and cause problems between us. Please, tell me the damage and I will write a check."

"I don't want your money," Spencer retorted. "I am only giving you a fair warning to stop it before I decide to do something about it."

"I assure you that I will, Lord Spencer. I apologize for the misfortune as well," Mr. Smith replied almost grimly. He glared back at one of his agents.

"Busted," William snickered.

"How do you know it was really him? Maybe he is telling the truth," John whispered, glaring at William and Wesker.

"Oh, John. Always believing the best in people. You are such a softie!" William snorted.

Wesker forced himself not to smile at that. John glared at them even sharper, then shook his head and focused back on the meeting. They had just enough time to see the leaders and their fellows stand from the table. Agents and researchers were walking over to each other to talk. It wasn't uncommon for the meetings to have small interactions between representatives. Here, rivals could boast between their companies and fellow researchers from all over could discuss matters. This was Wesker's chance to confront Mr. Smith.

"William?" Wesker inquired, watching as John left to go join Ada.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Distract Ada, Spencer, and Marcus, got it. Well, John is distracting Ada, so I guess I can just focus on Spencer and Marcus."

Wesker left his partner to go through the crowd. Mr. Smith was walking away with a few of his soldiers and agents. When Wesker approached him, he was stopped by his fellows. Mr. Smith looked him over suspiciously, and then this sly smile slowly came on his face.

"I know you…You are Albert Wesker, no?"

"Correct, Mr. Smith," Wesker replied coolly.

"You and William Birkin are very popular topics when it comes to research. You two are the youngest prodigies here, yet you also might be the most brilliant. Your father and mother, I hear, were two of the top researchers of Umbrella back in their day."

"Are you trying to flatter me, Mr. Smith?" Wesker inquired.

Mr. Smith smiled dryly. "I'm only recalling what my father has spoken about others. Still, it is an honor, Dr. Wesker. You had probably the greatest mentor, no? Dr. James Marcus is a legend, you know. And Andric Wesker…I must say he was as well. It is a shame that he died so young."

"I killed him," Wesker stated.

Mr. Smith's smile only seemed to darken. His icy green eyes flashed in amusement. "Then we have something in common, Dr. Wesker. What can I do for you?"

"Let's cut to the chase, Mr. Smith. You know what I want within Umbrella, and I know what you want within Umbrella. I can get you the knowledge you seek, if you help me achieve what I want."

"Tempting, yes…but how can we trust each other?" Mr. Smith asked.

"It is all up to you. I can prevail what I want to achieve without your help. It will just take me a little while longer to do so. If you don't help me, you don't get the information you seek. You are the one who will suffer with the decision you make. I am merely making a proposal to you," Wesker explained, keeping his eyes on the HCF leader.

Mr. Smith thought for a moment. He then slowly nodded his head at Wesker. "Alright, let's do it then. What would you like me to do first?"

"Do you see the female agent that Lord Spencer has by his side? Her name is Ada Wong. Get her acquaintance any way you can possible and persuade her to join you as a double agent. Do not let her know that I am conspiring with you. Once you send me knowledge that she has joined, then we will talk further."

"I will, but what is her importance?"

"You will see later."

Mr. Smith rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. "So, you will get me the data of the White Queen and Red Queen?"

"Yes, but only if you can prove to help me destroy Spencer and get me to the top of Umbrella," Wesker answered, twitching a smile.

"You have yourself a deal, Dr. Wesker," Mr. Smith chuckled, extending his hand. "Welcome to HCF."

"The pleasure is all mine," Wesker replied, smirking as he took Mr. Smith's hand in a firm shake.

***

Wesker got out of the passenger side of William's Lexus. William got out and followed his partner, having parked behind Wesker's BMW at his house. Night greeted them on the porch. Wesker unlocked his front door, and let the Doberman and William in. A quick glance at his watch told Wesker the meeting had went on longer than intended. The evening was still young, but it was already darkening into dusk.

"And that is why I hate going to those damn things," William heaved, sitting down on the couch for a moment. He would only stay for a minute. William needed to get home to Annette and Sherry for the night. Thanks to the meeting, their work was put on hold for the day.

Night came over to him while Wesker hung his jacket and took off his watch. William patted the Doberman on the head, slightly smiling. "What's this? No biting me in the ankle? Are you okay, Night?"

The Doberman snorted at him, then looked over at his master with an intense gaze. William crossed his leg, grinning up at his partner.

"So, how did it go with Mr. Smith?"

"He fell for it," Wesker replied, walking over to sit down across from William. Night got up and trotted over to be next to Wesker.

"Fell for it, huh? Well, you do know that you still have to be careful, right? Just because you think you have everything under control, doesn't mean something might go wrong. HCF is a dangerous company whether Spencer sees that or not," William informed.

"Will, I am touched. I didn't know you cared so much," Wesker mocked.

"Oh, you think you are funny. I always have to look out for you."

"Funny, I thought I always had to look out for you," Wesker chuckled, petting Night.

"Well bud, that's the point. We look out for each other. That's how it's been since the beginning, right? If you think that pursuing Mr. Smith is the right thing to do to achieve our goals, then I got your back," William stated.

"Then you make sure not to mention it to anyone. Not Annette, not Sherry, and not even Ada."

"You and your secrets," Will heaved.

"Which brings us to our next debate. What of our dear mentor?" Wesker inquired, smiling slightly.

"Yes, I haven't forgotten about that. Can we at least wait until he has finished with his work at the Training Facility? That way, it would be easier to get rid of him. When he works at the estate, he will stay down in the labs until he is the last one."

Wesker leaned back in the couch. He rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. "You do have a point. But let's not forget that I can persuade Spencer into thinking it as a good idea to get rid of Marcus. And that will make it even easier for us, because Spencer can clear everyone out of labs."

"Persuade?" William snorted, watching as Wesker took off his sunglasses and sit them on the coffee table. "Don't you mean manipulate?"

Wesker smirked at him. "Manipulate is such an ugly word, William."

As William laughed, Night's pointy ears perked up. His head shot for the door, and the Doberman quickly got to his paws. He started barking as he ran for the front door. Just as Wesker and William looked over, the door bell rang. Night continued to bark. Wesker and William got to their feet. Night's nub tail was wiggling in excitement, and he started to whine in with his barks.

"It must be someone he likes," William laughed.

Wesker hushed Night, in which the dog continued to softly whine in excitement. Wesker opened the door and was surprised to see Ada standing there on his porch. He watched as John drove off in his Cadillac.

"Ada, what a surprise. Come in," Wesker greeted, moving out of the way to let her in.

"Thanks. I didn't come at a bad time, did I?"

"No. William and I were just discussing the meeting."

Ada entered the house. Night came over to her, licking her hands. Ada petted the Doberman, then walked over to William, who stood next to the couch and coffee table. William grinned boyishly upon seeing her.

"Ada! What are you doing here?"

"Yes, I am interested to know since it was John who dropped you off," Wesker stated.

"John dropped you off? How weird is that? I bet it was quite hard on him," William chuckled.

"Very," Ada said. "Spencer called me just as we were driving back. He wants Wesker and me to watch the video of the meeting to see if we missed anything."

"That old geezer taped the meeting secretly? Sneaky old bastard, isn't he?" William snickered.

"That's what I thought," Ada agreed, nodding. "Anyways, John suggested that I only call Wesker instead of him dropping me off here. I told him I didn't want him to go out of his way since we were headed to his house for the night."

"Aw, you have to work some more. I'm sorry," William said, smiling at his partner.

"Maybe you should get home to Ann and Sherry, then," Wesker told him.

"Alright, fine. We will continue our little discussion tomorrow! Ada you have a good night, and don't let my partner here dazzle you."

"Dazzle?" Ada questioned, laughing at William's choice of word.

"Yes, dazzle! Good night!"

As William was walking away, Night followed him for a few steps until he reached down and nipped at his ankle. Ada had to hold herself from laughing some more. Wesker retrieved his watch and sunglasses to get ready to go.

"Ouch! Night! I should have been expecting that!"

William left Wesker and Ada alone. Within a minute, they heard his Lexus pulling out of the driveway. Ada turned to Wesker just as he was pulling on his jacket again.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what? It is Spencer who is making us do this," Wesker told her, walking over.

"Yes, and he couldn't wait until tomorrow," Ada sighed.

Wesker slightly smiled, stroking her cheek. "Well, at any rate, it gets me away from William for awhile."

Ada laughed. "And me away from John."

"So exactly what does he want us to check on the footage?" Wesker asked as they left out of the front door. Wesker left Night inside for the evening. They got into his BMW and started for the Spencer estate.

"I'm sure he will explain when we meet him in his study. We can just go to my room and watch it then."

Wesker slowly smirked. "Sounds lovely."

* * *

**Finally! I thought I was never going to get this chapter up! XD I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Holidays!!! So, the meeting dragged by, yes I know. But I had to do it to get through the story! I apologize for not a really, really interesting chapter, but don't worry!!! Ada and Wesker are getting closer, and Dr. James Marcus's fate is coming!! I hope that Mr. Smith is a believable character! I wanted a young, intelligent leader of HCF to put Wesker to the test! But, we all know that our loveable, evil villain will get the upper hand!!! Dark Evenings will start to get more intense from here on in, so I can't wait! XD Thanks for reading you guys!!**


	18. Chapter 17: Back Stabber

**Chapter 17: Back Stabber**

A month had passed since the meeting. And even in that short amount of time, when summer was slowly turning into autumn, Wesker was seeing a golden path open in front of him by joining HCF. Mr. Smith was able to contact him and let him know that Ada had been persuaded into the company as well. Having HCF's system to him was useful, and Wesker was thrilled to see that his plan was quickly falling into place. Mr. Smith only wanted petty information, but Wesker knew soon the leader of HCF would want more.

Wesker had no idea of Ada's intentions for HCF. Whether she was joining to betray Umbrella, or thinking she could dive into HCF to relay back to Spencer, was anyone's guess. However, Wesker knew that once Spencer and Marcus were dead, Ada would automatically be drawn completely to him. He would wait to inform her that he was with HCF until everything was in place. Mr. Smith had insured that she would not find out. And if she came right out and told Wesker that she was with HCF, then that would be all the better for Wesker.

On another note, it was good to see that William was starting to come around with the idea of getting rid of Marcus. Wesker was going to need William's full cooperation if they were going to get where they wanted to go. Wesker already had Nicholai's full cooperation. And he knew that once he got a little closer to Ada, that he would be able to gain hers as well.

_Ada, you are too exquisite to let go to waste by that old fool._

"Did Annette say she was going at seven or eight?"

Wesker looked up from his notes, his thoughts broken from his partner's curious question. He glanced over at the clock, seeing that it was almost 9:00 p.m. He and William had been down in the underground labs beneath Raccoon City since five this evening.

"Eight. You better leave. You know how aggravated she gets if you are late," Wesker answered.

"Yeah, I know, but I just can't leave the eggs unattended. If they get too hot or too cold, then the virus won't take effect correctly."

"William, don't worry about it. I will finish it up."

"Really? Aw, you are such a great pal!"

Wesker rolled his eyes. "Just don't forget that I'm pulling a double tomorrow at the precinct. Enrico is out of town, so I need to cover Bravo."

"Wow…you…pulling a double? Did I hear you correctly?"

"Just get out of here. I don't want to hear Annette complain for the next few days because of your failure to show up in time."

"Okay, okay," Will chuckled, putting up his hands to show that he got the hint. "I just don't know why the school is having the parent-teacher conferences so late."

"You are going on the night held for parents who work late, remember?" Wesker growled.

"Oh, yeah! Well, have fun with your double tomorrow. I will see you later."

Wesker didn't say anything as William gathered his things and left. Wesker sighed, rubbing his temples. Dropping his pen on his notes, he got up to finish William's experiment. He figured after this, it would be time to go home to get ready for the long day that was to come tomorrow.

Glancing up, he noticed the incubator in the back that held William's G samples. It was then that he remembered something. He couldn't forget tonight.

***

Ada walked through the underground lab tunnels. She was actually doing a good job remembering where she was supposed to go. Many of the passing researchers gave her odd looks, but she ignored them. She was relieved to find Annette and William in their laboratory, but not thrilled to see that they were arguing and that Wesker was nowhere to be found.

"I told you he was using you!" Annette snapped.

"This doesn't make sense! He wouldn't do that!" William barked, equally as angry as his wife.

"He wouldn't do that? William! He killed his own father and uncle for Christ's sake! He has killed many to rise to the top and don't think that you can't be a threat to him!"

"Oh don't give me that crap, Ann! You have been waiting for any chance to say that!"

Ada watched them back and forth, knowing all too well who they were talking about. She stayed in the doorway. This was definitely a bad time, but Ada couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"You need to take this to Spencer and Marcus right now," Annette growled, then glanced over, noticing Ada. Her glare didn't soften, but her voice was much cooler than when she was talking to her husband. "He isn't here. He is pulling a double at the police department."

After that, Annette stalked out of the lab, heading back to her own section. Ada stood there a moment longer before finally stepping completely into the laboratory. William stood over a table, his arms stiff as he had them on the table as if he was pinning it. His head was hung, and he suddenly punched down on the table.

"Bad time?" Ada asked, trying to sound calm.

William lifted his head, glared over at her, then moved to go sit down in his rolling chair. Ada was surprised. She had never seen William so tense and angry so far. Something was up for sure, but it was definitely about Wesker. Ada needed to know what was going on.

"William, what happened?"

"The formula for G has been stolen!"

"And you guys think it was Wesker?"

"There are only three who knows the password for the incubator! Me, Ann, and Wesker!"

Ada held up her hands. "Whoa, there, Will. Someone else could have broken in!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought, but Annette said that Marcus already had it brought to him by Wesker!"

Ada was quiet for a moment. Something wasn't right here. Nothing made sense to her. Why would Wesker steal the G-Virus that wasn't even really complete yet, and turn around and give it to their old mentor? Ada knew that G was mostly kept secret, but there were quite a bit who knew that William was the creator.

"Marcus knows you created the G. And Wesker isn't dumb enough to that even if he was cold enough."

William heaved a sigh. "That's not what I'm upset about. I'm upset because Marcus said that Wesker told him to have it sold to HCF. He tricked Marcus into thinking that the G was a fake, but it's the real thing!"

_What would Wesker want with HCF?_ Ada thought to herself.

"Why would he do this to me?" William growled. "After everything I have ever done for him!"

Ada slowly shook her head. "This doesn't make sense, Will. Have you even talked to Wesker to see what he has to say about it?"

"No. He's working a double at the precinct," William answered. He was literally shaking from stress.

"Did you stop Marcus from selling G off?"

William clenched his jaw hard. "No. It's already sold to HCF. All I can hope is that they are too dumb to finish the process, and I can remake it myself."

"William, do you really believe Wesker would do this?"

William didn't answer. His eyes lowered to the floor. Ada couldn't blame him. Wesker was a dangerous, manipulative man. He could have deceived William all along, just like her. He could have deceived everybody. And Ada understood this about him. Still, something in her gut told her something was wrong about this whole ordeal. They would have to go talk to Wesker.

"We need to talk to Wesker."

William shook his head. "No, we can't."

Ada heaved a sigh, putting her hands on her hips. "Will! Don't be such a wuss!"

"No, I mean we really can't! I'm not allowed to go to the R.P.D! We can't risk them knowing about our business! Wesker's probably busy with some cases anyways. He isn't answering anybody's calls."

Ada flicked her eyes away. _Yeah, not even mine._

She sighed again. "Fine. I will go. Will, you need to get over to Spencer…just in case."

William swallowed hard. "Yep."

***

Ada pulled John's Cadillac into park across the street from the Raccoon City Police Department. It was getting late, almost ten in the evening as she entered the doors into the precinct. She wore her favorite heels with some black dress pants and a violet top. She wore a light jacket over to block herself from the autumn wind. Chief Brian Irons hardly knew her, and so Ada was hoping he wouldn't remember her. She didn't have time to blackmail him into keeping his mouth shut.

A police officer walked over to greet her in the main hall. The handsome black man dipped his head at her, smiling. Ada noticed on his uniform shirt, his name was Marvin Branagh. She smiled sweetly back up at him.

"Hello, Miss. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, is Captain Albert Wesker here?"

He seemed surprised when she said his name. Marvin nodded, slightly smiling. "Uh, yes. He is upstairs in the S.T.A.R.S office. Would you like me to call him?"

"Actually, it is quite important. Is it possible that you can escort me up there?" Ada asked, trying to smile innocently.

"No problem at all. Follow me."

Ada was relieved and followed him. They went through into the open office. The long room was full of desks, paperwork and lockers. Police officers were either laughing or eating donuts, or sitting quietly doing paperwork. There were even a few on the phone listening to complaints and problems. They then entered into a large room full of small lockers. Ada was sure this was where they kept certain evidence locked up. There were even filing cabinets for cases.

Marvin took her into a hallway that had a staircase. They headed up the stairs, passing by a few more officers and then went into another hall. He stopped once they reached the double doors to the S.T.A.R.S office.

"Here you are. Can you find your way out?"

"Yes, thank you."

"No problem. Take care, Miss," Marvin said, and then left to go back to the main hall.

Ada thought she should knock, but then decided to just walk in. The members of Bravo Team looked up from their paperwork. Ada only knew their names, but hardly knew anything of the team themselves. They all gave her confused, curious looks. Ada looked over to the captain's desk. Wesker was already glaring at her.

Ada wasn't even going to try and pretend. She needed to let Wesker know that this was serious so he wouldn't order her away.

"We need to talk. Now."

The eyes of the Bravo Team's members widened, and they glanced to one another. Ada saw the one named Forest snicker to himself. Edward was the one to elbow him silent. Wesker hesitated at his desk at first, and then got up and followed her out of the office.

"We need to go somewhere private," she whispered.

"Follow me," Wesker stated.

She followed him all the way out into the parking lot to his BMW. It was quiet and empty out here. They stayed beside his BMW and faced each other. Wesker folded his arms, staring down at her as if he was awaiting a petty conversation.

"The G-Virus has been stolen," she blurted. Wesker's face remained expressionless so she continued, feeling suddenly agitated with him. "William and Annette found out that it was you. You sold it to HCF by manipulating Marcus into thinking it was a fake."

Wesker's brows scrunched together, and his arms fell loose from being folded. "What would I want with HCF?"

"I don't know. What would you want with them?"

"How are they so sure it was me?"

"Only you, William, and Annette have the password to the incubator."

"Are you so sure of that?"

Ada was starting to get really annoyed, but she tried to keep cool. There was a good chance that Wesker was egging her on purpose. "Why did you do it?"

Wesker rubbed his temple, slightly growling. "Look. I need to get back to work." He reached down and took off his keychain. He broke off one of the many keys he had on it and handed it over to Ada. "If William cannot wait until I get off work, tell him to use this key to unlock my storage. The password is W9JT13TR08B66. You got that?"

"But what…is-"

"Just trust me, Ada," Wesker chuckled, kissing her on the forehead. He then started heading for the police department. "Good night."

Ada heaved a sigh, walking through the parking lot to get back out onto the street to find John's Cadillac. She had no idea what Wesker was talking about. There wasn't much else she could do except go back down to the underground labs. She got out her phone and called William.

"_Birkin speaking."_

"Will, it's Ada. Are you still underground?"

"_I was just heading out. Why?"_

"Stay there. Wesker gave me a key he wants you to try out."

"_What does that have to do with my G-Virus?"_

"Just wait!" she grumbled, and flipped her cell phone shut.

***

"I can't believe this!" William exclaimed.

"Well, you should just be glad that the G-Virus is safe," Ada stated.

"But it doesn't make any sense," Will sighed.

"Wesker must have known someone was going to try and steal it."

"Then why would he take the fake to Marcus and make an act to sell it?"

Ada thought for a moment. It really didn't make any sense. They were definitely missing something. "I don't know."

"You need to go back to the precinct and talk to him again!"

"What? It's after three in the morning, Will. Your research is safe. Let's just relax and wait until he gets off of work. Did you call Annette yet?"

"No. I guess I better," William sighed.

Just as he was getting his cell phone out to call his wife, the automatic doors slid open to the laboratory. They looked over, Ada getting her hand ready on her gun. They were surprised to see Wesker strolling on in, still in his S.T.A.R.S uniform.

"William, come with me. Ada, do me a favor and get over to Spencer and tell him what's going on that. I know who did it."

Ada could only nod. William got to his feet, glancing back at her with what looked like uncertainty. He followed Wesker out as he slipped on his white lab coat. Ada followed on behind them. They got to the surface of Raccoon City. Ada got into John's Cadillac while Wesker and William drove off in Wesker's BMW. They headed for the edge of town, towards Spencer's estate.

***

"What the hell is going on, Wesker?" William growled.

"We are heading to the Training Facility."

"Okay. Go on."

"Yesterday when I went there to drop off Spencer's reports to Marcus, I overheard Thacker on the phone saying that he was going to steal the G sample. So that night I switched them out with fakes."

"Then why did you take a fake to Marcus for?"

"I didn't. It's a set-up, don't you see? Marcus hacked our files for the passwords and made Thacker do the deed."

"Marcus?" William growled.

"He is secretly trying to set me up to make us turn on each other."

"Dammit!" William cursed. "How will we be able to get him to admit it?"

"That is why we are going to the Training Facility. I'm sure it is all in Thacker's laboratory. His or our dear mentor's. I figure most of them are gone, and we can do a little sneaking ourselves."

They were quiet the rest of the trip there. Wesker parked the BMW, and they headed inside the Training Facility, heading down underground for the laboratories. They walked the halls side by side. Most researchers were gone, but there were a few that were working for the night. Wesker led the way to Dr. Harvey Thacker's laboratory. When they reached his lab, Wesker was surprised to see that Thacker was still there. In fact, he was thrilled.

The two of them entered through the sliding door. Thacker was looking over some notes. He looked over his shoulder to see who had entered. As soon as he saw them, his face drained. Wesker drew his Samurai Edge and aimed it directly at Thacker. William glared over at his partner.

"What are you doing?! We weren't ordered to kill him! You can't act on your own on this, remember?!"

"Relax, Will. I'm not going to kill him if he tells us the truth."

"Wh-what's going on? Wesker? Lower your weapon."

"Why did Marcus order you to break in? How was he able to hack through William's security?" Wesker asked.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about."

"Well, of course you do. I switched the real samples with some fakes. Only a fool would not know the difference."

William folded his arms, sighing. "You better tell him or he will shoot."

"Okay, okay! He wanted to experiment! He wanted to see what would happen if he got you two to tear each other's throats out! He paid me a bonus to do it! I'm sorry!"

Wesker smirked. "Now that wasn't that hard, now was it? That was all we wanted to know, wasn't it Will? Now, I will make you a deal Thacker. I won't kill you, if you promise not to mention this to anyone."

Harvey hesitated a moment. The young scientist started shaking his head, hands held up against the gun. "Alright!"

"Good, now leave before I change my mind," Wesker growled, pointing for the door several feet behind them.

Harvey moved uneasily forward. He passed William and Wesker to head for the door. William calmed down now that they had the full story on the matter. He was also surprised that Wesker was letting Thacker go.

He thought too soon. Wesker fired the gun once. The bullet went straight through the back of Thacker's skull. The young researcher collapsed dead to the floor, blood spilling out from the cavity. William gawked from the body to his partner. Wesker holstered his gun, glancing at William through his sunglasses.

"I changed my mind," Wesker stated icily, then headed for the exit. He stepped right over Thacker's body. William swallowed hard and followed on behind him.

***

The walk to Spencer's study room going through the mansion's hallways seemed much longer than usual. William was silent beside Wesker as they walked for the lord's room. It was now after four in the morning. Annette was home sleeping with Sherry. William just wanted to let this day go. They were going to get in trouble for killing Thacker. But it wasn't as if William could stop Wesker.

"What are we going to tell Spencer?" William asked.

"We will tell him that Thacker did it."

"What about Marcus?"

"We will worry about him later. It will be better for us just to act that we believed that Thacker was in it alone," Wesker answered.

"Alright," William replied, nodding his head tiredly.

He knew exactly what Wesker was getting at. They stopped just inside the hallway that led them to Spencer's study. The door was fifteen feet down from them, but William stayed where he was for a moment.

"I'm sorry that I doubted you, Wesker."

"Why?" Wesker inquired.

"Because as soon as I heard that it was you who did it…I believed it without even hearing your story. It was wrong of me to think that, especially when it was really you who saved my research."

Wesker chuckled, walking over to Spencer's door. "Yeah, well, you would have been useless to me if I hadn't done anything. Besides, all our plans would go to waste if the real one was sent to HCF."

William laughed. "You're right about that. But, I gotta tell ya…because of this, I think our little plan for Marcus just got rescheduled sooner."

Wesker smirked as he knocked on the thick, cedar door. "Agreed."

* * *

**A/N: Uh-oh...that doesn't sound good for Dr. James Marcus! Oh, but that means so much good for us and for Wesker and Ada! *smirks evilly* hehehehehe.....Ahem, anyway. So Marcus tried to be sneaky and get Wesker and William to turn on one another. Apparently he doesn't give enough credit to his apprentices, however. We all know that Wesker is way too smart to fall for something like that. Oh, and as for Ada and Wesker...it's a coming!!! XD**


	19. Chapter 18: Succumb

**Chapter 18: Succumb**

Wesker spent a good fortune of his evening trying to persuade Lord Spencer about getting rid of Dr. James Marcus. Wesker knew he had a silver tongue when it came to such matters, and being naturally manipulative couldn't be let go to waste. At first, Spencer was skeptical about Wesker's point of view. Wesker was cool about the matter, knowing that if he just worked with Spencer, that the lord would start to see where he was coming from. The point was to make Spencer think that Marcus was becoming a liability to him and Umbrella, by not just the little stunt he pulled to make Wesker and William turn on each other, but other points that Wesker elaborated on, or just plain made up.

William was working here tonight, but Wesker specifically told his partner not to come with him to talk to Lord Spencer. William's purpose was to distract Marcus if their old mentor was to come here after his work at the Training Facility.

Spencer sighed, leaning back in his large leather chair. He laced his fingers together, peering at Wesker hard. "I just don't know, Albert. I starting to get the hint that you just want to kill James for yourself. I mean, you already killed your own father and uncle…and plenty of others against my orders. Why should I have you assassinate one of my dear old friends?"

"I will admit, my lord, that killing my father was a personal matter. I have shown you the proof of Salin's treachery, haven't I? I was only protecting not only William's work, but yours as well. Same with all others I have killed. I did so to protect you and this company. Isn't that my job? That is why I work in law enforcement, to use counterintelligence to prevent anyone from figuring out Umbrella's secrets.

"You do have a point, Albert, but I don't understand your reasons for James. His little stunt with you and William could have just been a simple test. His opinion matters to me, I asked him and that is what he answered. To prevent anymore conflict, I told him that you and William thought it was only Thacker responsible."

"I understand, Lord Spencer, but think for a moment about the other factors that I have presented to you."

Lord Spencer became quiet, thinking to himself. The old man stared at his notes on his desk before him. Behind him out the window, the sun was slowly dipping behind the trees of Raccoon Forest, bringing dusk to them. The door to Spencer's study room started knocking, and they knew it was someone wanting to enter. If Wesker had to guess, it was either Ada, Dr. Marcus, John, or Emerson.

"Come in," the lord sighed.

The door opened. Wesker looked over his shoulder to see who it was. He glared as he realized it was William. William grinned down at him for a moment, and then focused seriously on Lord Spencer. He had a few pages that looked as if they had been ripped out of a book or something.

"William, what a surprise. Have you come to try and persuade me as well?"

"Well, not exactly, Lord Spencer. I do have something quite interesting though that you might want to look at. Here, they are pages out of Dr. Marcus's diary."

"Diary?" Spencer chuckled. "I didn't know James kept a diary. Where did you find it at?"

Wesker studied his partner closely, knowing William was up to something. He handed the pages over to the old man and sat down next to Wesker. He answered with a trusting tone that even Wesker could believe if he didn't know any better. "I found it in his office at the Training Facility when I dropped some papers to him this morning. After what he did to us, I couldn't help myself. It's a good thing that I did."

"This is definitely James's writing," Spencer said, his eyebrows coming together. He started reading the pages. The more he read, the more his face formed into a scowl. Wesker glared at William hard. William noticed him in his peripheral vision. He scratched under his chin with two fingers; a code to Wesker telling him just to wait. Working together since they were teens helped the two to learn each other more than anyone else. They had codes to each other they used for many situations, ones such as this. Wesker turned to focus back on Spencer. The lord had just finished reading the two pages front and back.

"I can't believe this. William, is this really from his diary?"

"Yes. I was just as shocked as you were, sir. I mean this little stunt he pulled between Wesker and I was one thing, but this was just unexpected to me."

"This is his handwriting," Spencer sighed, putting the pages down on his desk. "If this is true, then I really can't allow James to go free. I will do this. Tomorrow, I will lay everyone off for the night. James will have to go down there to get his stuff for his morning conference the following day. Take that time while there are no witnesses to take him out. Don't leave any traces and get out of there afterwards."

Wesker remained impassive, wondering what in hell William was plotting to get this kind of reaction out of Spencer. William nodded beside him. "Understood, Lord Spencer!"

"Understood," Wesker stated coolly as he and William got to their feet.

"I apologize for not believing you, Albert. I won't say anything to James. Just make sure you get down there and get it done. I guess his research has made him greedy…I have no choice but to eliminate him…my childhood friend."

"Yeah, we thought we knew our old mentor too," sighed William, sounding depressed.

They left in silence. Wesker followed William through the hallways, heading for the main hall to take the elevators down. Once they were in the elevators descending, and there was no one to overhear them, Wesker glared over at him.

"What did you do?"

"I…stole some pages out of Marcus's diary," William answered, slightly smiling.

"Those weren't out of his diary."

"Okay, fine. I forged his writing and wrote some lies to make Spencer think that Marcus was turning on him and Umbrella."

Wesker smirked evilly at this. "Wow, I am taken by surprise William."

"Well, no offense, but no matter how good of a manipulator you are I knew it was still going to be hard to persuade Spencer into believing us. So, I forged Marcus's distinct handwriting so he had no choice but to believe."

"I didn't know you were so good at forging," Wesker chuckled.

"Oh, yeah. I do it all the time. Yours, Annette's, Marcus's…you name it. All I have to do is see it once and BAM! I know how to write it," William snickered.

"Well, I hate to say this, but thanks to you, we finally get to put Marcus out of commission."

"What a way to word it," William muttered as the elevator doors opened up. "But at least once we kill him, I can hack into his computer and steal all of his research."

"Look at you getting all ambitious," Wesker said as they walked into their lab.

William shrugged, frowning for a moment. "Well, it will still be hard to kill him for me. I mean, he raised us like his own…but what he did to try and make us turn on each other is unforgivable."

"What's unforgivable?" Annette asked as the doors slid open into their lab and she came strolling in.

Wesker glared at William, retrieving his sunglasses from his lab coat pocket. William's eyes widened for a moment, and then he calmed down. "Uhh, John letting his avocados go to waste in the refrigerator. It just isn't right!"

Annette blinked, obviously baffled at her husband's explanation. "How so? They are his avocados, not yours."

"But avocados are too good to waste no matter whose they are," William pointed out, lifting a finger to show his point.

"Whatever," sighed Annette. "I know perfectly well you two aren't talking about avocados, but I really don't give a damn what you two are talking about. Where's the MO Disk for the fertilization results? I need it for the meeting at the Pharmacy."

"Um," William mumbled, looking around. "I ah…"

"You forgot…again. Albert, please tell me you know where it is."

Wesker went over to the table that was just next to William. He picked it up, and walked over to Annette. He handed it to William's wife, where she smiled in relief. "Thanks, Albert."

"I knew it was there."

"Just be home by nine, Will. It's your turn to take Sherry to school in the morning."

"Right! I gotcha on that, babe!"

Annette smiled, shaking her head at her husband. "I bet you do, honey."

She left them alone. William stared after his wife. The automatic doors slid shut behind her and she was gone. He looked over at Wesker, found his partner staring at him. "What? So I forgot where it was. I have too many things to remember to worry about a damn MO Disk," sighed William.

"Just don't forget about tomorrow," Wesker said, turning away to get to work.

***

Ada crossed her legs for the third time just as she was finishing her report to Lord Spencer. Spencer listened intently to Ada as he took in her words on how she was able to blackmail Mayor Warren for him. Spencer was thrilled about this, knowing that Warren would do anything to keep himself on a pedestal above Raccoon City.

"Warren has always been such a fool," Spencer sighed. "Thank you for that, Ada."

"Of course, just carrying out orders," Ada answered. "Is there anything else you need? Or am I dismissed?"

"Well, I do have some curious news to tell you. Tomorrow night I am going to lay off all of the researchers."

"Really?" Ada asked, surprised. "Why?"

"They have all been working hard, some too hard. Everyone deserves a night of rest. It will be a paid lay off. With this, everyone can have a night of rest, and it will lower the risk of accidents caused by lack of sleep."

"That is very humble of you, Lord Spencer," Ada stated, nodding. She didn't believe him. Spencer wasn't generous enough to do this for no reason. However, she didn't question him. Something was definitely up, but then again, maybe Spencer was telling the truth.

"I thought it would be nice," Spencer chuckled, but then she noticed the uneasy scowl that came onto his aged face afterwards. Ada pretended that she didn't see it. "Well, anyways. You are dismissed, Ada. I bet you want to go see John before he leaves, huh?"

"Yes, thank you."

"You have a good night, Ada."

"You as well, Lord Spencer."

Ada left his study room. She immediately headed down into the basement levels of the mansion to find John in his laboratory. She saw Annette walking up her way with a disk in her hand. Annette smiled as they came to cross ways in the hallway.

"Hello, Ada. Come to see, Albert?"

Ada smiled, shaking her head. "Actually, no. I came to see John. He is leaving tonight. He is flying to New York for a conference with Emerson."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that."

"Wesker is down here? I thought he was off tonight?" Ada asked curiously.

"Well, Will tells me Albert had some important matters to discuss with Spencer. And now that he is done, he has decided to work. Figures. The man hardly takes time off as it is. He and William both," sighed Annette.

"You aren't any different, Annette. All of you need to take more days off," Ada said, smiling.

"True. Well, I need to be getting back to the Pharmacy. Have fun, Ada."

"You too."

The women passed each other. Ada walked along the hallways, passing other researchers and workers. As she was walking by Wesker's and William's laboratory, the door remained shut, but she could hear William laughing about something. Smiling to herself, Ada went on to John's laboratory.

She found him collecting his things, sighing and scowling. He saw her as she came in, and he smiled. He shut down his computer and came over to her. "Hey, I was hoping you would be able to catch me. Our flight leaves in a couple of hours. We are just to head out."

"Yeah, sorry, I was reporting to Spencer. He says he is giving everyone a rest day tomorrow night. All the researchers are getting a paid lay off to rest. I thought it was kind of strange of him to do that, but it is kind of nice."

"Really?" John inquired, sounding interesting. "Of course, he had to go and do something like that when Emerson and I are going to be gone for the next four days."

"Yes, of course," Ada chuckled. "Well, you guys be careful."

"We will. I still don't know how I got volunteered for this."

"You got promoted, remember?" Ada sighed.

"Oh, yeah."

"Come on, John," came Emerson's voice, peeking his head inside the lab. The older, handsome researcher smiled as he noticed Ada. "Hey, Ada. Sorry I have to steal him from you."

"It's fine."

"Love you," John said, bending down and kissing Ada on the lips.

Ada returned it, smiling slightly. "Love you too. Be careful."

"I will," he chuckled. John gathered his suitcase and jacket, following Emerson out the door. Ada decided she could at least walk with him to the parking lot. She did too. As the three of them were coming up on Wesker and William's laboratory, the door slid open and William came out, still laughing.

Wesker came out afterward, just now slinging on his normal black jacket. William put the code to lock down their laboratory and the two of them started up the hallway. Ada, John, and Emerson followed on meters behind them.

"Wonder what's so funny," John sighed, shaking his head.

"With William, you never know," Emerson chuckled.

Ada could only agree, smiling herself. Between Wesker and William, you never knew what they were talking about, what they were planning, or anything like that.

"Yeah, with Wesker and William, we probably don't want to know," John laughed.

Ada realized she forgot her jacket as they were nearing the cool autumn outside. She shrugged it off. She was only following John and Emerson out to Emerson's vehicle. John was leaving his Cadillac for Ada, joking to her not to crash it.

Ada watched as John got into Emerson's SUV. The white vehicle pulled out of the property, heading for the airport. She folded her arms, feeling the cool wind sweep by her figure. After the taillights disappeared into the darkness, Ada stood there a moment longer. She took in the new scents that were coming with autumn. All around her the deciduous trees were turning to oranges and reds and yellows. It was quite beautiful to her.

She turned and headed back into the mansion. She would go to her room, take a shower, and go to bed. John would be gone for the next four days. Ada didn't feel she was going to miss him as much as she should have. She knew she would have her hands full with work, and she also knew that Wesker would be hanging around. She could only snorted, slightly smiling as she thought of this. Wesker had no care in the world for John, but she knew this didn't change her opinion on him. Ada found herself starting to like Wesker's company more than John's. It was a feeling she knew she should be ashamed of. John treated her good; treated her right. What was it about Wesker that she loved more than John?

_Because he is a manipulative bastard, that's why_, she mused to herself, taking the joke to heart.

Ada couldn't hide it any longer. She knew she was falling for Wesker. She knew she would have to be careful if she didn't want to betray John. However, she couldn't help but to think of the saying 'when the cat is away, the mice will play'. But John wasn't the cat here. Wesker was the cat through and through, playing with Ada and John. And while John the mouse was away, the cat would come to play with the other mouse. Slowly, Ada could tell that a cat and mouse relationship was forming between her and Wesker. Nonetheless, she could also tell that if things took a turn, she would be having a more complicated relationship than that.

***

Wesker and William waited patiently in one of the offices of B1. Wesker hacked into the mainframe to get to the security cameras on the computer, and now they waited for Dr. James Marcus to descend into the basement levels to go to their laboratory. William kept looking at his watch, getting anxious and all around nervous. There was no one down in the laboratories. All the researchers were taking advantage of the lay off. Some were sleeping at their homes or rooms up in the estate. Others were out on the town doing their own business.

"He should have been here by now. He got off an hour ago from the Training Facility," William whispered harshly. He was antsy, pacing the room like a prisoner.

Wesker leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, watching the security cameras. His hands were behind his head, and he was completely relaxed. Beside the keyboard of the computer laid the silenced pistol that Wesker was going to use to assassinate Marcus.

"Relax, Will. I'm sure he is just having a dear conversation with Lord Spencer. He will be down here."

"Easy for you to say. How can you stay all calm like this? I need a freaking chill pill…I mean like literally."

"Why are you so agitated?" Wesker asked, glaring over at his partner. "It is just Marcus, no one else. You have helped me kill plenty times before, William."

"I know, but never a man that I considered to be family," William hissed, practically spitting the word family out like it was hard to say.

Wesker heaved a sigh, going back to watching the cameras. He yawned to himself, popping his neck. William continued to pace the room until Wesker ordered him to stop. Then he sat down at a chair and started fidgeting.

"There he is, get ready," Wesker whispered, getting stealthily to his feet. William leaped to his feet. He rubbed his palms together, as if trying to get in the mood in this very moment.

Marcus passed by their door, continuing down the hallway and going down the stairs into B2 for the other laboratories. Wesker motioned for William to wait. They needed to give Marcus plenty of time to get into their laboratory. As Wesker was picking up the silenced gun, he noticed someone else come out of the elevator. Surprisingly it was Ada, and she was on her cell phone. Just as she was passing by the room they were in, she slapped in shut on the camera and continued to go down, following Marcus.

"What is she doing down here? Did Spencer tell her what was going on? Is she on to us?" William hissed.

Wesker shook his head. "No, I think she is down here for John. We will have to get it done with her down there."

"Are you crazy?! She will hear us!"

"I'm not too worried about it if she hears us," Wesker snorted, leaving out the door to follow behind Ada and Marcus.

William had no choice but to follow his partner. "What if she talks? Spencer wants this quiet!"

"Will, she is loyal to Spencer, and she is loyal to me. She won't cause any harm," Wesker chuckled, going down the stairs.

It was William's turn to snort. "A little too modest, aren't we?"

"What's wrong? Do you not enjoy Ada?"

Will heaved. "No, it's not that. It's just…"

"Just follow my lead," Wesker stated, stalking past him.

Ada was nowhere to be found in the hallways downstairs. As they walked up to their laboratory, where they knew Marcus would be, Wesker glanced down the long, cold tunnel towards John's lab. Sure enough, the light above the automatic door was green, letting him know it was open. She must have been in there doing something for John.

They paused outside the door to their laboratory. Wesker nodded at William, and so his partner went in first. Wesker followed on behind him. Marcus was busy collecting some of his notes for tomorrow. He whirled around to see who had entered into the lab. He smiled upon seeing his former apprentices. Wesker and William moved away from the door, so as it automatically closed them off from the outside.

"William, Albert, what a surprise. Why aren't the two of you enjoying this paid lay off that Ozwell is so generously giving?" Marcus asked.

It was good to see that William had finally calmed, and now was focusing on the matter at hand. He smiled at the old man. "Oh, you know us, Marcus! We always got something up our sleeve!"

"Indeed you do," Marcus said, but as the words came out, his tone lowered. It was as if he was realizing what was going on here. He looked sharply between William and Albert, feeling the tension that was suddenly blanketing the air. "What is going on?"

"We've come to say our farewells," Wesker said coolly.

"Farewe-" Marcus echoed, but it dropped as soon as he saw Wesker pull the gun from inside his jacket pocket. "Wait, what are you doing?"

Wesker pulled back on the hammer of the handgun, twitching a smile. He slowly aimed the gun up at his old mentor, making the man freeze in place. William stayed not far from Wesker's side, keeping his eyes on Marcus.

"Why are you doing this, Albert? First your father, then your uncle, and now me? What are you going to achieve by killing me?" Marcus asked, trying to remain calm.

"Just as William says, we always have something up our sleeves," Wesker sneered.

"Don't think we are stupid. We know it was you who tried to pit us against one another. Besides, the more I think on it, the more I realize that once you are gone, I can really rise to the top," William snapped.

"Wait…don't…"

Wesker opened fire on Marcus. Multiple silent shots struck the old man, making him crash into the counter next to him. Glass dishes and utensils crashed down with him as he crumbled to the floor, crimson bursts flying everywhere. Marcus yelled out in agony. Wesker left him there on the floor to bleed to death.

"I'll be taking over your research. Don't worry, I will make it better," William said to Marcus, feeling cold by how this man had betrayed him.

They heard the automatic door slide open down from them. They both looked over casually, Wesker still having the pistol aimed on the suffering James Marcus. Ada stood there, looking shocked with a combat knife in her hand. It must have been the only weapon she had on her at the time, and she was hoping to defend Marcus if he was getting attacked. William's face fell, feeling somewhat ashamed. He also knew that if Wesker wanted to take things a little further, he would have no power in stopping him.

Wesker peered at Ada curiously, noticing how beautiful she looked tonight in her casual wear. He knew Ada was smart enough to stay where she was. She wasn't about to run, not that Wesker was going to kill her. Though he was amused at how he was able to make her feel so nervous towards him.

Marcus jerked on the floor, still not dead. A dark puddle of blood was forming around his body as he rasped for air. He was coughing up blood and trying to move.

"Albert…William…why…"

Wesker glared back down at his old mentor, a smirk forming on his face as he re-aimed the silenced handgun. "Time to die."

He fired the last, silent shot. Marcus's skull burst with hot crimson, dropping to the ground dead and gone forever. More blood spilled out, covering the tiled floor and the broken glass. One of the most brilliant of Umbrella's researchers had now succumbed to his own fall from glory.

"William, now is your chance to get the research Marcus has kept from us. And don't forget to get the waterworks going when this reaches the surface."

"Of course," William mumbled, stepping over Marcus's body to get to work.

Wesker kept the gun to his side, walking slowly over to Ada, who stayed where she was. She still looked a little shocked, but now she was cooling down into a guarded glare towards him.

Wesker slipped his sunglasses off, this barely noticeable smile growing on his lips. The gun didn't move in his other hand as he stared her down. He eased his shades into his lab coat pocket, eyes unwavering.

"Well, my dear, you have walked into quite the predicament." His tone was cool and calm, but his grey-blue eyes danced with an unknown flame.

She glared at him. "Are you going to kill me too?"

"Why would I want to kill you?"

"Are you not worried that I am going to run to Spencer?"

"Are you going to run to Spencer?" Wesker asked, slightly cocking his head. He knew Ada didn't answer because she knew it was a rhetorical question. Wesker slightly chuckled at her. "It would do you know good to go to the lord. He already knows. He allowed me to do it, and he made sure William and I led it out."

Then it all came to Ada. Her eyes flicked to the dead body of Marcus, and then to William, who was working in the back. She then looked back to Wesker. "That's why he made all the workers take off tonight."

"Correct."

"I can only imagine Spencer's reasons. How about yours? Why did you do it? Why did William?" Ada asked, suspicions rising.

"I was tired of him always looking over my shoulder. There was no way we would be able to do exactly what we wanted with him there. Wesker made me realize that," William said, walking over to them with Marcus's secret research.

"And you, Wesker?"

Wesker shrugged. "Things change. There are many reasons why we do things." Wesker then turned to his other partner. "Let's go. We have four hours before someone will discover the body."

William nodded, slipping past them with the disk in his hands. Wesker watched Ada closely as she took everything in, finally calming down back to herself. She seemed to finally understand what was going on, knowing that Spencer would be explaining later anyways.

"Would you like for me to take you to Lord Spencer?" he asked. "He can give you more answers if you wish to hear them."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I don't need anymore answers. If you aren't going to kill me, then let's go."

She turned and left Marcus's laboratory. Wesker hesitated for a moment, and then he followed her out. They walked together back out of the Research Facility, and took an elevator to the surface of the Spencer estate.

***

Wesker and William split up from Ada once they hit the main hall. Ada left to go to her room, but not without giving Wesker this long, complex look. William was nervous now that they were up on the floor where residents were still up and about. No one had seen them come up from the labs, but he just couldn't help himself.

"Well, you two have a good night. William…try and relax," sighed Ada, stepping onto the first stairs of the main staircase.

"Me? I'm fine!" William exclaimed. He received glares from both Wesker and Ada. "Alright, fine. Thanks, Ada."

Ada nodded, and then headed up the stairs to go to her room in the east wing. Wesker watched her for a long moment before he nodded at William. The two of them headed outside to their vehicles. They stopped and made sure they were the only ones around.

"You make sure that you sound genuine when they call us in to come look at the body," Wesker told his partner.

"Please! I'm quite the actor!" William snorted.

"You were nervous back in the main hall, Will."

"It's just aftershock. I'm over it," William grumbled, rubbing his hand on his neck. "Are you sure we can trust Ada?"

"Why are you doubting her? You haven't ever before."

"She holds loyalty to Spencer…and to John."

"I was able to manipulate her into joining HCF, didn't I?"

"Yes, but we don't know if she joined HCF to go against Spencer or to help him spy on them. Or maybe she has her own agenda."

"You worry too much," Wesker sighed. "Leave Ada to me. She already has loyalty to me, and it won't be long until she will be completely mine."

William rolled his eyes. "Glad to see you are so sure of yourself, Wesker."

"I will see you when they call you in for the emergency."

"I'll be sure to get the waterworks going when I wander onto the sight of poor Marcus's dead body."

"Don't get that drastic."

"What are you going to do?" William asked, folding his arms.

"I am going to go talk to Spencer. I need to inform him of Ada's interruptions if she hasn't gone to him already."

"And then you are going to see her. Right. I get it. John's out of town," William snorted.

Wesker smirked, turning back towards the Spencer estate. The large mansion glowed hauntingly in the dim lights that surrounded it. Wesker took a few steps, stopping only to glance back at his partner.

"Well, I can't miss an opportunity now, can I?"

William eased a smirk himself. "Have fun then."

* * *

**A/N: Woohoo, finally a long chapter! Alright, so now the shit has finally hit the fan, lol. Poor Marcus is now dead and gone thanks to his not so loyal ex-apprentices! Now, I have Ada's point of view on this very scene within the story of Cat and Mouse, if you want to check it out. It is in the chapter called Chapter 20: It's Not So Easy. I know that James Marcus was originally assassinated back in 1988, but I wanted to change it for my story personally. Now, those of you who have read Cat and Mouse and are now reading this, you now know what is coming up next, mwahahahaha. With John gone on business, things are going to get a little...heated up between Wesker and Ada. Not only that, but the commotion that comes from Marcus's death. Anways, hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. I myself actually had fun writing it! Thanks for reading and reviewing! XD**


	20. Chapter 19: Alibi

**Chapter 19: Alibi**

Ada slipped into Spencer's study after knocking. The lord allowed her to enter, and she entered just as the old man was sitting down slowly into his chair. For a moment they beheld each other. She could see the founder of Umbrella's eyes calculating as he thought. Ada sat down across from his desk in one of the chairs, crossing her legs.

"I am just going to skip to the chase. I saw Wesker and William kill Dr. Marcus."

"They were supposed to be alone down there," Spencer growled, as if hinting she knew better. "Why were you down there when everyone was supposed to be off?"

"I was gathering some of John's things. Why did you allow them to do it? Dr. Marcus and you-"

"Things change, Ada. You of all people should know that," the lord interrupted, looking away from her for a moment. "James was starting to do some suspicious activities, and I couldn't risk it. He tried to turn Albert and William on each other, among other things."

Ada lowered her eyes for a second, taking in his words and gathering a calm breath. "Why did you make them do it?"

Lord Spencer sighed, slightly coughing as he lit a cigar. "Albert is a good killer. I know he would get the job done quickly with no questions asked. And as odd as it may sound, William is the same way."

Ada hid her snort of contempt from him. _No, he just manipulated you like a stringed puppet._

"You keep this quiet, Ada. In the morning, we will "discover" the body, and lead out an investigation that is going to run cold. I will make a few announcements here and there, and you…since you crashed Albert and William's little party, can help them dump James's body into the sewers below the Training Facility. Understood?"

She nodded. "Yes, Lord Spencer."

He got out a bottle of champagne, and her lips twitched slightly. He must be celebrating early for James Marcus's death. Spencer seemed to be deep in thought after he poured a glass, taking a hit off of his cigar and twirling his cane around in his hand slowly for a moment. He then looked back up at her.

"Good. You can go now, if you like…Good night."

Ada got to her feet, turning away from her employer to go to the study room door. She turned the knob, thoughts swirling, but froze at Ozwell E. Spencer's sudden words.

"I have no care in the world what you do with Albert Wesker. Just as long as you do the job I require of you. Your personal life is of no concern to me. Don't let it distract you. I don't want any drama. So do what you must with John and Albert."

She gawked at him for a moment. "Sir? There is nothing going on-"

"Do you seriously think I believe that? Or care for that matter? I'm surprised John hasn't noticed. The boy is more gullible than I thought he was. There are only three outcomes that will come from this."

"And what is that?" Ada asked, holding his gaze.

"One, you choose John and play your little game with Albert. Nothing will come of it, John will never find out. Eventually, you two will move on. Or two, you choose Albert, and John will change inside and out. He may or may not be of any use to me anymore."

"And the third, Lord Spencer?"

Spencer twitched a smile at the corner of his thin lips. It was one of the very few times she saw him smile, and this one made her shiver. She did not like the look in his eyes. He took a long inhale of his cigar, and then breathed it out, smoke slithering in a cloud around him.

"Or three, Albert _will _kill John."

Ada stood there in shocked silence for a long moment. She then left Spencer to go to her room. She didn't even wake up from her thoughts until she felt hot water hitting her bare skin, and she realized she was in her shower.

She finished up, and got out. Right after she dressed in her night clothes, a knock came upon her door. She was suspicious. She slid her knife behind her and went to the door. She listened for a moment, but heard nothing.

"Who is it?" she asked, listening.

"It's definitely not John."

She heaved a sigh, smiling nonetheless. She opened the door to see Wesker standing there, this small smirk on his handsome face. "You aren't funny."

"Are you going to invite me in?"

Again, she smiled, moving from the threshold to let him into her room. She closed the door behind her, watching as he took in her large, clean room. Ada tossed the knife onto her nearby table.

"I thought you were going home with William?"

"I wouldn't go home with William, I would go home to my own house, but I would have left with William," he corrected, turning to her.

"Again, you aren't funny. You know what I meant. You should just leave the smart remarks to William."

"Why go home when I can come and see you?" he inquired, walking slowly over to her.

Ada didn't say anything, even as he circled her. His boots stepped silently on the wood floor as he circled her, taking in her sight. Ada watched him, twitching another smile. Ada saw him slowly draw the pistol he used to assassinate James Marcus. Instinct immediately made her tense, ready for anything. She soon relaxed when she saw him sit it on the table.

"Why so tense, dear heart?" Wesker chuckled. He slid off his sunglasses and sat them next to the gun as well.

"How long are we going to play this game, Wesker?" Ada asked, easing slightly but then tensing again as he stepped behind her.

"What game?" he purred into her ear from behind her. She felt him running his finger up and down her spine, giving her chills.

"This game of cat and mouse?"

Ada knew what was about to happen. It was inevitable. John was away. Wesker was here with her at the moment. And as much as she wanted to fight it, she knew she could no longer win with Wesker around. She closed her eyes as he massaged her shoulders, waiting for him to answer.

"Cat and mouse? Well, now I am curious. Explain to me, dear heart…"

_Dear heart…where the hell did he come up with that?_

Ada turned around, facing him. His sharp, blue-grey eyes stared down at here, thoroughly interested and even more calculating than Spencer's. There was darkness in his eyes. But there was also a cruel intelligence that she knew to be unmatched.

"Well?" he persisted.

_To hell with it…I'm sorry John…_

"Do you really want me to explain?" she sighed, smiling seductively as she started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Maybe later," he purred into her ear, moving on to kiss her neck and jaw. He pulled off his jacket just as Ada finished unbuttoning his shirt. His shirt was tossed, and they started stepping towards Ada's king-sized bed.

Ada groaned while kissing Wesker over and over, drawing back for a breath only as Wesker tore her shirt off of her to toss it aside. Her bra was a few seconds behind her shirt, and after that, they toppled over onto her bed.

Ada felt Wesker's hands all over her body, sliding, groping, caressing. His lips weren't far behind going from her mouth and making trails down her throat and breasts. She took a moment to unfasten his belt, noticing how husky her breathing had become. She also noticed how eager her fingers were, and how the desire continued to grow and grow in the pit of her stomach.

Ada's subconscious tried to intervene, telling her that she was betraying John, and that Wesker was too dangerous to be playing this kind of game with him. She forcefully shook them away. She groaned again as Wesker started pulling off her blue silk night pants. They slid across her ivory skin delicately, much like Wesker's strong hands. His kisses were rough but potent. Ada's were much the same way as she kissed and felt Wesker's chiseled, muscular body

_You just had to let him in, didn't you?_

Ada could only smirk as Wesker moved his face up to claim her mouth once again, this time moving completely on top of her. Deep down, Ada always knew that Wesker was going to win this little battle and seduce her. As much as she was physically and mentally attracted to him, she never knew she was going to be this pleased that he was able to.

***

Ada heard her cell phone going off. She knew it was her pager, but she wanted to keep sleeping instead of answering it. Her phone kept ringing on the little table by her bed. Growling, Ada rolled over to answer it. She blinked open her eyes. She realized that Wesker was gone, and she was in bed alone. Sighing, she snatched her phone and flipped it open.

_Spencer will be calling you down into the labs in about five minutes. Just remember to act surprised, even if it is for show._

She snorted at Wesker's message, flipping her phone shut and smiling. She lay back down for the moment, yawning and trying to wake up. She could still smell Wesker's lingering cologne. He must have left not too long ago from her room. She laid there under her blankets until her cell phone went off again. This time, she recognized it as her employer's ring tone. She answered it, still slightly groggy.

"Ada, get ready and meet me down in the laboratories please. Don't take too long getting ready," Spencer spoke on the other side.

"Understood," she replied, and slapped the phone shut again. After sitting it down on the table, she moved to get up. Her muscles were sore and her head ached, most definitely from the pleasure of last night. Completely naked, she walked straight to her bathroom to take a shower and get ready.

***

There had been a crowd in William and Wesker's laboratory where they found Dr. James Marcus dead in a puddle of his own blood; assassinated. Sergei and some of his soldiers, including Nicholai were called to the scene next, walking in with Lord Ozwell E. Spencer himself. Spencer ordered Sergei to move most of the researchers and agents out, and kept only a few of the higher-up researchers. The lord was also pleased to remember that John and Emerson were gone, to make things run a little more smoothly.

Wesker stood silently next to William, who pretended to be heartbroken at the sight of his old mentor slain. He sniffled and kept the alligator tears coming. Wesker was trying to focus on Spencer, but got rudely interrupted by William blowing his nose very loudly. Wesker glared over at his partner.

"What? I need another tissue!"

"I am going to need alibis for every person who works here at Arklay. Sergei, be sure that it gets done."

"Of course, Lord Spencer," the Russian Colonel spoke in his thick accent, dipping his head.

The automatic doors to the laboratory slid open. They all looked over to see Ada Wong enter, wearing a dark red dress with a slit up the left leg. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked casually over at them. When she saw the body, her eyebrows lifted, and she looked genuinely surprised.

"Dr. Marcus has been assassinated, Ada. I want you to work with Albert and William to try and find some clues as to who did this," Spencer announced.

Ada nodded her head, keeping calm as she was always known to do. "Yes."

"Afterwards, dump the body in the sewers in the Training Facility. We cannot let this get out of hand."

"Are you not going to ask for their alibis, Lord Spencer?" Sergei asked, motioning to William, Wesker, and Ada. Nicholai and Wesker exchanged looks, ones that Ada couldn't identify.

Spencer turned back around, pausing in his stride to the automatic door. He glared at the three in the back, tapping his cane on the ground. "I already know where each of them was last night."

Lord Spencer turned and left, disappearing as the door slid shut behind him. Sergei motioned for his few soldiers to head out. Nicholai glanced back at Wesker, and then turned to follow the others. Sergei stayed for a moment, studying the three with this dark smirk on his face. He kept his eyes directly on Wesker for a moment, and then turned to follow his soldiers out.

"Good luck finding the killer. Who knows, eh? He might be right under our noses."

The Russian Colonel left the three alone. For a moment, Wesker, William, and Ada stood in silence over James Marcus's corpse. Ada didn't like Sergei's words, and turned to the two partners.

William sniffled once more, then tossed his balled up tissue aside. "Geez, glad that was over. I was running out of fake tears!"

Wesker remained glaring at the door where Sergei had just disappeared behind. "Sergei knows that it was us, somehow. We are going to have to keep our guard up."

"That sack of nails? Are you sure?" William snorted.

Wesker glared down at William. "Yes. And if he makes a wrong move then we will kill him as well."

"Aren't you going just a little tad overboard with killing people?" Will asked, shaking his head.

Wesker sighed, slightly smiling. "I haven't killed that many people recently."

William snorted a laugh. "Recently? You killed four people in the past five days! Don't think that I don't remember or know how to count because I was there!"

"If you two are done with your little lover's quarrel, can we please get to work?" Ada sighed, shaking her head.

"He started it," William mumbled. He received a sharp punch to the upper arm by Wesker. "Ouch!"

"Are you going to wear those lovely clothes while we work? It is going to get messy," Wesker chuckled at her.

Ada gave him a wry smile. "Well, that's where you boys come in. You two can carry the body, I will lead the way."

"Oh, someone else leader besides Wesker? That just won't do," William laughed. He quickly moved to the other side of the counter so Wesker couldn't reach him.

"Will, you can carry his upper half," Wesker growled.

William glared at his partner. "That's wear all the blood is!"

"Since when are you afraid of blood?"

"I just don't want to get my new lab coat dirty."

"Is there any other way to the Training Facility besides going through Raccoon Forest?" Ada inquired.

"There's an old tunnel down in B3 that leads to it. But I think it is flooded now," William answered.

"Our best route is through the forest. We need to head out. We only have two hours before sunrise, and we need to get the body dumped before the researchers at the Training Facility get in."

"Let's put him in a body bag first," William stated.

"Why?" Wesker snorted.

"Because, he is giving me this look like he is disappointed with me, and it's just plain creeping me out."

Wesker glanced over at Ada, who was trying not to laugh. Wesker sighed, walking over to the back of the lab to retrieve a body bag. William grinned, almost snickering. Wesker was quick to get back over to them. He glared over at his partner.

"Keep it up, and I will put you in a body bag."

"Aren't you just a bundle of joy?" William snickered, and walked over to slip the body into the body bag.

Ada watched them. After they were finished, William grabbed the legs, and Wesker grabbed the shoulders and picked the body up. It was a good thing that James Marcus had been a shorter, thin man. The body wasn't heavy at all to the two men. Ada led the way, grabbing a flashlight. They made sure they had their weapons on them, and headed out.

***

"What am I going to tell Annette, anyways? Honey, poor James Marcus got assassinated! It's simply horrible! I doubt that will work," William sighed.

Ada led the way with the flashlight while Wesker and William brought up the rear while carrying the body bag. It wasn't horribly dark; the moon was full but quite far on the other horizon as the eastern skyline was starting to turn red from the rising sun.

"Well, you did you go home last night, didn't you? There's your alibi," Wesker sighed.

"Yeah, but how do I explain why I was late. Oh, I know. It's all your fault! You kept me there at the lab later because you screwed up on an experiment or something. No, she won't believe that, but she will definitely understand that it was your fault!"

"Why don't you just tell her the truth?" Ada asked, glancing over her shoulder at the two men.

William busted out in laughter for a moment. "Are you kidding? She would kill me! Trust me; she thinks I am completely innocent and that Wesker here is the bad influence. Let's just keep her thinking that. I love my dear Annette, but there are some dark secrets she doesn't need to know."

"Bad influence?" Wesker chuckled. "That is so darling of her."

Ada turned to keep focused on the trail before them. She slightly scowled. _She isn't as gullible as you think she is, William. She knows some of your secrets…and she knows that it was Wesker who led you to do them._

They reached the large Training Facility, its dark features silent in the last moments of night. Wesker told her of the passage that would lead them down into the laboratories. It was the quickest route to the sewers. They walked the empty laboratory hallways, heading for the next passage that would take them down into the sewers. Ada, Wesker, and William could hear caged BOWs howling out. They recognized them to be not only the dogs and Eliminators, but also some Chimeras.

The three of them hardly talked, especially once they made it down into the sewers. They stopped over a bridge, looking down into a gushing river of water and darkness that led to so many parts of the sewers under the Training Facility. It was much different from the pit where Wesker tossed his uncle into. No one would ever find the body after dropping it here.

Wesker suddenly felt weight on Dr. Marcus's body, glancing over in time to see that William had just dropped his end of the corpse. Wesker glared at him, sitting his end down as Ada came over to stand next to him.

"What?" Ada asked, noticing William's surprised face.

"That's the fattest, ugliest looking leech I have ever seen in my life! Must be one of Marcus's friends! Remember how much he loves leeches?" William said, pointing.

There on the body bag was a large leech slithering and leaving a trail of mucous. William used his boot to fling it off of the body bag onto the cat walk bridge. He then slammed his foot down and squished the creature. It popped like a filled balloon, green guts spilling out.

"Yuck," William sighed, lifting his leg to look at the bottom of his boot.

Wesker picked the body bag up. He slung it easily over the bridge's railing and let go. The body bag fell several feet until it crashed into the water. It sank immediately, and was swept away by the current.

"Does anyone want give their regards?" Wesker inquired. William and Ada stayed quiet, just watching the rushing river below them. Wesker grinned. "Good. Now let's go."

He turned and started heading out. Ada and William followed behind him, side by side. As they were reaching the labs of the Training Facility, the first researchers were coming in. They paused to watch Wesker, William, and Ada pass. They knew very well who Wesker and William were, having been James Marcus's apprentices, but also doing dirty jobs for Spencer.

They started back out on the forest trail. Ada no longer didn't need the flashlight, for the sun's first rays were lighting through the trees, creating a spider web of light that peeked through the canopy. It was much easier now for the sun to peek through the forest, for now most of the deciduous trees had lost or was still losing their leaves.

"Why do I have this uncanny feeling that our old mentor is going to come back and haunt us?" William asked, rubbing his chin.

"Will, there are no such things as ghosts," Wesker answered.

"How are you so sure? Ada, have you ever seen a ghost?"

"Nope. Not unless you consider kids when they use a sheet for Halloween," she chuckled.

William heaved a sigh. "Yeah well, maybe he will just come back from the dead…like a zombie!"

Ada's cell phone started ringing. The two men looked down at her, as she was walking in the middle of them. She knew the ring tone to be John's, and she sighed for some reason. She reluctantly answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Ada, hey! I heard that Dr. James Marcus got assassinated! What happened? Emerson and I are shocked!"_

"Yeah, we discovered the body just a few hours ago. We have no idea who did it," she answered, still walking down the trail. Wesker and William kept quiet, listening intently on her conversation. Ada just was surprised that John and Emerson were able to find out while in New York. It seemed that news still traveled fast while you worked here.

"_That's insane. It had to be somebody we know. Or maybe it was HCF again. Is Spencer questioning everybody?"_

"Yes, he is. Also put down some kind of a lockdown for the facility. The Training Facility included once everyone arrives there."

"_Well, it definitely wasn't Emerson or me,"_ John slightly chuckled. _"Man that is just crazy. James Marcus was such a legend." _She heard him hesitate on the other end. _"You don't think that it could have been…William and Wesker?"_

"No, it wasn't them. They had legitimate alibis," Ada answered, flicking her eyes to Wesker, who was watching her closely.

"_Hmm, well, I am sure we will find the killer. I am sorry I didn't get to call you last night, I was meaning to. Did you have a good night last night?"_

Ada felt pain stab her heart like a cold dagger. She hesitated for a moment, trying to rid herself of the feeling. It soon subsided as she swallowed hard, and she smiled softly. "Yeah, I had a wonderful night last night. Thanks for asking, John."

"_I am glad to hear that. Well, I need to get off of here; the meeting starts in five minutes. I just had to call you after I heard the news. I will be back Wednesday, probably late. I will be sure to call you tonight though, alright?"_

"Alright, enjoy the meeting."

John slightly chuckled. _"That's not very funny, but considering what happened down there, I guess the meeting isn't so bad anymore. I love you, and I will call you later."_

Ada hesitated again. "I love you too."

She flipped the phone shut, placing it back on the strap to her leg. She didn't even have time to rethink her conversation with John before Wesker wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her over to him.

"I am glad to hear that you had a wonderful night," he chuckled.

"I couldn't lie to John, could I?" Ada laughed weakly.

William crossed his arms, smiling slyly over at them. "And I find it humorous that Spencer knows where we were at last night. Which means, he knows that you were with Ada."

"Good for him then. That clears our names, don't it dear heart?"

Ada snorted. "Sure does. William may still be a suspect though."

"I didn't shoot the weapon. And I went straight home to my loving, but moody wife thank you very much!"

"Touché," Wesker chuckled.

***

They reported to Spencer when they reached the mansion. Wesker left in the middle of Spencer's talk to leave for work, leaving Ada and William alone with the lord. His words were exactly what Ada expected them to be. He explained the certain rules while Arklay was in lockdown for a few days. He explained to them the alibis and how he was going to announce that the trail was cold.

William yawned loudly next to her, and they received a glare from Lord Spencer. He finished up his cigar, and then dismissed them. Ada and William left the study room out into the hallway. Ada was going to head to her room. She needed to grab some things before she went to go work with Sergei and some of the other agents about this whole mess. William would be leaving to go work in the underground lab beneath Raccoon City with Annette, until things slowed down here.

"Hey, Ada, hold up."

She paused in her stroll, turning back to face William as he walked up. He had his hands in the pockets of his lab coat, and he smiled at her.

"Yeah, Will?'

"I just wanted to say, well…"

"Yes, Will? Just spit it out," Ada laughed, watching as William rubbed the back of his head while he thought for the right words.

"Okay, well, I know Wesker can be a total…bastard…but he is family, I love him like a brother. So, welcome to the family, I guess. He never lets people in, and he...seems drawn to you."

He smiled sheepishly at her. Ada thought that it was really sweet of him. She grabbed him into a hug, still laughing. "Thanks, Will. That is really sweet of you."

She pulled back, and he chuckled. "Just don't tell him I called him a bastard. I don't want another punch to the shoulder."

"I will be sure to keep my lips sealed," Ada answered. "Well, have a good day, William."

"See ya," he chuckled, turning to head his own direction in the hallway.

* * *

**A/N: Uh-oh, Ada was bad and cheated on John! Umm, I am so telling....hell no I am not telling, that just makes things more interesting, mwahahaha! As for those you are disappointed in the lack of a lemon, I am unsure of the rules here on of that, so I just left part of it out. I promise once I look over the rules, I will repost this chapter with a lemon, hehehe. Not that this is going to be the only time that Wesker and Ada....anyways, hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Poor James Marcus got dumped like a sack of potatoes, and he shall come alive with VENGEANCE!!! Please read and review and I will be as happy as a poodle in a grooming kennel! That made no sense...still, just review lol! XD**


	21. Chapter 20: Friendly Feud

**Chapter 20: Friendly Feud**

Ada couldn't even look at John as they sat there together eating breakfast. Was she ashamed? She didn't know. She kept telling herself that she was a horrible person for what she did to John while he was away. How many times had she slept with Wesker already? It seemed that first night together had triggered something within Ada. She slept with Wesker a few more times before John was even flown home from New York. She felt horrible, but deep down she wasn't affected by it. Ada knew that she was by far more attracted to Albert Wesker, and he was leading her astray like the serpent did to Eve. Ada knew she was going to have to watch Albert. He would take any chance to destroy John. He would take any chance to take her even more.

_But that's what you want…isn't it?_

"Ada? Is something the matter?" John asked. "You have been quiet ever since I got back early this morning."

Ada tried to smile, but her lips didn't move. The funny thing was, she knew John was coming back early in the morning, yet she still stayed with Wesker. He left before John came in…they had planned it.

_So stop being a coward and break it to him. You want to be with Wesker. John won't be so broken if you tell him directly over if he finds out…or if Wesker tells him…_

"John I…I need to tell you something," Ada stated. Why did it hurt so much? She was never one to stress about her actions. What was done was done. She no longer had those feelings for John. However, she feared the worst from Wesker. She wanted to keep it a secret from John, knowing that if she and Wesker eventually went their own ways, she would still have John.

"What is it, honey?" John asked, looking concerned. He gave her his full attention.

Ada just couldn't understand. John was everything she wanted. A man who wanted to settle down and have children, marriage, all that she wanted when she was ready to give up on her career. He was handsome, smart, and so good to her. He cared for her emotionally and physically.

What was it about Albert Wesker that made her want to give John up? Sure, Wesker was handsome, extremely intelligent, silver-tongued, calculating, and manipulative; the list could on and on. But she knew Wesker was not the kind of man who was going to settle down. Not ever. And Ada wasn't sure if he could care for her like John did. She would always have to be vigilant in the back of her mind, knowing that Wesker was quite the serpent.

"I…wasn't able to find out who killed Dr. Marcus," she said, lowering her eyes. She just couldn't do this to John…to herself.

John shook his head, looking almost relieved. "Hey, don't worry about it. You sound so depressed about it…I thought you were going to admit something." He slightly chuckled. "Look, it will all be figured out."

Ada smiled weakly, knowing she should feel like a terrible person, but strangely she didn't. "Yeah, I know."

* * *

Wesker went down to the labs, Night trotting beside him. He had been strangely distracted all day. At the S.T.A.R.S office the Alpha Team was confused by his behavior, but Wesker was himself. He didn't figure it was because John was back. John was nothing to him, and he knew he had Ada in his pocket. Something else was nagging at him. Wesker didn't know if it was HCF, or the recent Marcus assassination. Either way, he wasn't staying down here for long. He was just coming to pick up a few things, including William, who was supposed to be in the labs under the city tonight.

Passing researchers moved out of Wesker and Night's way. The Doberman sniffed around curiously, cropped ears pointing forward in interest. The dog was intimidating to those who passed by, especially the ones who worked with the infected dogs.

Wesker and Night slipped into the laboratory. William jumped as the doors slid open, and he dove on top of his papers. Night went straight to Wesker's partner, sniffing him curiously.

"That wasn't suspicious at all," Wesker stated nonchalantly.

"I'm sorry, you just surprised me is all," William heaved. "These documents are extremely confidential! I'm taking them underground."

"Really? What for?"

"A secret strand of G I am developing."

"How is that going?" Wesker chuckled.

"You should see the rat I tested."

"Where at?"

"I'll show you as soon as I find him," William chuckled, scratching his head. "Took out an entire dungeon wall though. It was pretty awesome." Wesker opened his mouth but William cut him off. "No worries! The virus isn't stable so it isn't able to spread. The rat is probably already dead…probably...maybe…"

The Doberman took a hold of William's pants with his jaws and started to tug. William yelped, grabbing his papers and hopping along as the dog tugged at him. "Alright, alright! I'm coming."

"See? Night knows we are on a time limit as well," Wesker chuckled, turning so they could exit.

The men and dog started heading for the exit of the labs below the Spencer estate. Rounding a corner, they bumped into John, who looked just as surprised to see them. Wesker clenched his jaw hard. He didn't understand why he wanted to kill John. He wasn't jealous of John, yet he hated him. Why should he be jealous of John when Ada was as good as his? William's smile fell, and he glanced from John to Wesker. Night must have sensed his owner's negative tension, for the Doberman bared his teeth to snarl.

John took a step back from the dog, worried for a moment as Night growled lowly from his throat. Wesker cleared his throat after relaxing from his tension towards John. "Night, easy. He is a friend."

The Doberman snorted contemptuously, but stopped growling. He licked his lips a few times and then remained still, eyes not leaving from the nervous John. John looked from the large, lithe dog to Wesker.

"Isn't he a rather large dog to not be having a leash?" John inquired.

Wesker smiled slyly. "Don't worry so much, John. I have complete control over this dog." As if to prove his point, Wesker said something in German. Night immediately lowered his head, backing up to sit down next to Wesker. The dog would not look at John. "There. Feel better?"

John didn't look any better; instead he slightly shook his head. "Are you two not distraught over Marcus?"

"Things happen," William sighed. "It's sad, but we have to move on."

John slightly glared at them. "Did you two have alibis?"

"I was at home with my loving wife," William answered.

"I was with Ada," Wesker stated coolly.

William snickered loudly, trying not to grin but failing profusely. John glared even harder at Wesker, but Wesker was not done yet.

"Are you trying to put the blame on us, John? If I were you, I would watch my words," Wesker warned, snapping his fingers. Night immediately came forth, snarling once more. John didn't say anymore, and stood there watching the growling Doberman. "That is what I thought. Come on William. Night, heel."

The three of them slipped past John, who watched them head up to the elevators to leave the mansion. John gritted his teeth, feeling angry with them and himself and stalking off.

* * *

Ada leaned on the railing on the second floor balcony of the mansion. She figured watching the sunset could keep her mind busy. She was trying to avoid not only John, but Wesker, and Spencer as well. She hadn't seen Wesker since he left really early this morning. She could see his black BMW parked down in the lot, close to John's Cadillac. She had no idea why Wesker was here, but did not seek him out to find the answer.

She heard laughing that was all too familiar to her. Looking down from the balcony, she could see William heading out towards the lot. Wesker and Night were with him. Ada was curious, but stayed quiet as she watched them get into the sleek BMW and drive off, heading for Raccoon City.

It was then that she realized exactly how cold it was out on the balcony. The wind was crispy, and the leaves were starting to fall faster than ever. The autumn colors were slowly fading. Winter was coming up fast. Ada couldn't believe how fast the year had sped by. She was dreading winter. Ada wasn't much for the cold, the ice, the snow. But deep down, it wasn't really the cold season that was bothering her so much. It was the fact that she was wondering how long she could keep up Wesker's little game and be able to hide it from John.

It was long after winter came in that the first snow blanketed Raccoon City. Wesker was at his desk in the S.T.A.R.S office deep in thought. Some of the Alpha members came in a little late due to the road conditions, but Wesker hardly cared and didn't write anyone up. Jill was the last to come in, being a half an hour late and walking in just as Wesker was in the middle of a briefing. Wesker kept the speech going even as she walked through the office to join Chris by her desk.

The whole day dragged by to the point that Wesker was getting a headache. Once Enrico and the rest of Bravo started to show up, Wesker was able to leave. He and William were working at the Spencer Mansion tonight, only because one of the lower scientists accidentally mixed two chemicals together that caused poisonous smog to form. If Wesker remembered correctly, it would take two days for the gas to evaporate. William had joked, saying it was one way to get rid of the sewer rats and insects down there.

Even though it had been a month since James Marcus's assassination, it seemed as though the researchers of Arklay were still uneasy to the thought of another attack. Of course Wesker could only snort at this. The rest of the staff were basically fools in his opinion, wasting away like guinea pigs in their own right.

Wesker made his way down the trails of the estate's property, making his way towards the old graveyard in the back. The icy air bit at his skin, but he kept himself warm for the most part with his black jacket. His breaths came out in steamy puffs that quickly slipped away. Wesker never understood himself for continuing to walk this route, even after his father's death.

He made his way over to his mother's gravestone, standing over it and peering down at the engraving that was hardly eligible anymore. As a child, Wesker's father Andric dragged him along on the first snow of every winter to visit Andrea's grave. Even after Wesker killed Andric, he still continued to come on his own accord, without knowing why himself. He felt nothing for the mother he never knew. He simply regarded her as the woman that gave birth to him, and died in the process. But there was something that always led him here in the winter, something that not even Wesker wanted to understand.

For almost an hour he stood out in the cold, staring down at the gravestone deep in thought. He said nothing aloud, did not weep or smile, nor did he acknowledge the meaning behind the engraving on the stone, he just stood there. The day slowly started to dim, and now that the days were shorter, Wesker's schedule became even tighter. Sighing, he turned to head back to the mansion, knowing that he should be down in the labs with William. His boots crunched along the snow in each step, and Wesker was able to notice how the Arklay Forest was turned into a winter wonderland in the previous snowstorm.

As Wesker made his way down to the labs, he crossed paths with Ada and John. Wesker clenched his jaw, hardly giving them a second glance as he passed. He saw Ada glance away as he approached and passed, while John watched him closely. He could feel their eyes on his back even as he passed them and headed for his laboratory.

William popped his head up to see who entered. He smiled softly at Wesker, but didn't say anything. Wesker shrugged it off and went to work. Strangely, in the hours to come, William stayed quiet the whole time. Wesker then remembered that William always got quiet on the first snow, knowing that Wesker would always go to his mother's grave. To Wesker, it was just like any other day, except for this pull to take a walk to the cemetery. Wesker was sure William felt that it was a healing day for Wesker, and so was quiet to let his friend carry on in peace. In the years they had endured together, Wesker could never understand William at times. William annoyed the hell out of him at times, but when William was this quiet, it just wasn't right to Wesker.

"Alright, you can drop the solemn act, Will."

"What? I'm not being solemn."

"Yes, you are. It's the first snow, remember? You always get quiet."

"I am just trying to give you your space," William snorted, as he dissected the monkey on the table.

"I don't need space. I'm not mourning her, you know," Wesker replied, looking over his shoulder to glare at his partner.

He saw William clench his jaw, and this made Wesker grow curious. Did he just strike a nerve on his old friend? "Don't you think you should?"

"Why?"

"Because that woman gave her life to give you yours," William snapped, turning around.

Wesker slightly cocked his head, but his features didn't flinch from William's outburst. "And your point is?"

"My point is that woman gave birth to you and died from it. If you aren't going there to mourn her then why even go?"

Wesker was quiet for a long moment, taking in William's words as his partner glared at him. "It is a habit from Andric."

"Don't use your father as an excuse! You never did before!"

Just as Wesker started to chuckle did he feel a sharp pain to the side of his face. Surprised, Wesker glared at William, realizing that his partner had decked him in the face and was still holding up his fist. William's eyes slightly widened, and he looked from his fist to Wesker. A tense moment passed, and then in a blink of an eye the two were fist fighting.

William had no chance against Wesker's martial arts skill. However, the brilliant researcher was tougher and quicker than what Wesker gave him credit for. Wesker slung William around, slamming him against another table and making all of the glass containers fall and shatter. William slammed a fist into Wesker's chest, and just when Wesker was about to punch his partner in the face again, the automatic doors slung open, and they heard someone clear their throat.

"Are we fighting like children?" Spencer snorted, glaring at them with Ada at his side. Ada looked surprised seeing Wesker and William in their predicament. William's lip was busted and one eye was starting to swell and darken. Wesker's cheek was a little puffed up but that was it.

Wesker immediately let William go. Birkin let himself lower just a little, as if trying to hide from the founder of Umbrella. The old man rubbed his temple, thoroughly annoyed as he leaned on his cane.

"What is going on?" he growled.

"Well, really it's...uhh, really it is nothing. We were just...ahh…we were…" William fumbled.

"We just had a small disagreement. We are fine now. Right?" Wesker said, slapping William a little too hard on purpose on the shoulder.

"Ack! Yep! We are like brothers! It gives us every reason to fight and then be fine with each other minutes after we kick each other's ass!" William chuckled.

"Whatever," Spencer grumbled. "I need to see both of you in my study room in fifteen minutes."

He turned and then left. Ada watched him go, but then decided to stay. She walked over to the two friends. Wesker was straightening his cuffs on his jacket, while William poked his swelling eye and then cried about it.

"What in the world are you two quarrelling about?" Ada asked.

"William decided to see if he could test my patience," Wesker snorted, glancing over at his partner.

"My eye is swelling shut! How in the hell am I supposed to see with only one eye? And plus I look like a damn piñata!" William snarled, still poking his eye.

"What does Spencer want to see us about?" Wesker asked.

"Something about Marcus. I have to go too, but he wouldn't tell me anything," Ada answered.

"What am I going to tell Annette?" William asked, coming over to them.

"Tell her that I beat the shit out of you," Wesker snorted. "You started it, so why are you complaining?"

"Well, I couldn't help it. I lost my temper and I cannot stand you sometimes."

"The feeling is mutual," Wesker answered coolly.

Ada rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "If you two boys are done, can we please get our asses to our loving boss and see what he wants?"

"Wesker started it," William huffed.

Wesker heaved a sigh, heading out before the other two. Ada was second behind him, while William was last as he complained about his swelling black eye. They reached Spencer's study room and entered, where they stood around the founder of Umbrella. Ozwell E. Spencer took a moment to look in between them. He shook his head at William.

"You look like shit, William."

"Thank you, sir."

Spencer glanced down to some papers on his desk, his fingers laced together as they sat calmly on that same desk. "Albert, on that night that you and William assassinated James…were there any complications except for Ada's apparent involvement?"

"No Lord Spencer," Wesker answered coolly.

"Why are you asking?" Ada asked.

"James' prized leeches are gone. The security cameras didn't catch anything, and there were hardly any signs left. Those leeches are valuable as you know because they contain special strands of the Progenitor Virus and T-Virus. Now the good thing is that the Training Facility is contained all around, so if an outbreak was to occur, it could be easily fixed."

"Wait a minute. I see where this is going! You want us to hunt down the leeches, right?"

"How perceptive of you, William."

"Why us? What did we do to deserve this grunt work?" William snorted.

"Relax. I just need you three to supervise the Training Facility for a few days. The researchers there will be handling the leeches. The three of you will be in charge for the process, and if something is to go wrong…well…I suggest following Albert's way of thinking."

"Which means disposing bodies over the sewer," William snorted.

"Exactly," Spencer stated, smiling.

Ada glanced over at Wesker, noticing the tiny smirk he had on his face and the strange glint of the light that passed over his sunglasses.

"But what about-"

"Annette will be taking over your research for those days down in your section with a few of your researchers," Spencer interrupted, knowing what William was going to ask about.

"So, when do we start?" Ada inquired, knowing that their shifts were about over for the night, even though that didn't really matter when it came to Spencer's demands.

"Tomorrow. Right now I just have a few agents over there to see if they can find out anymore on how the leeches got out. The three of you are dismissed for the night."

Wesker, William, and Ada dipped their heads and stepped out of the study room. For a moment they were quiet, and then they headed for the main hall of the mansion. Wesker glanced over to William, whose eye was now completely swelled shut and purple.

"Do I need to drop you off at home? I didn't see your Lexus out there," Wesker asked.

"Thanks, but Annette is coming to pick me up."

"I'm surprised the two of you can even stand to be walking next to each other after that scuffle you two had," Ada chuckled.

"Ehh, this isn't the only time we have fist fought," William sighed, poking his eyeball again.

"You two never cease to amuse me," Ada said, smiling.

By the time they reached the main hall, Annette was already there talking to another female researcher. Just as Annette turned to greet them, her eyes widened upon seeing William's puffy, black eye. She glared at her husband, heaving an aggravated sigh.

"What the hell happened to you, William?"

William pointed directly at Wesker. "He did it…on purpose."

"Which means you deserved it, now let's go. We have an early start tomorrow."

"What do you mean I deserved it?" William growled. Annette gave him a look, and her husband sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

William and Annette said good night to Wesker and Ada, who were left to stand alone in the middle of the main hall. They faced each other. They hadn't spoken much with each other in the weeks that John had been back. Ada was somewhat relieved about her busy schedule. It got her mind away on what she did to John earlier in the month. Though now she stood in the same predicament before Wesker now. Ada found herself not really caring for John as much as she thought she did, at least with Wesker around.

"Did you have fun beating up William?"

Wesker smirked. "He is much tougher than he looks. He can handle it."

"I guess so."

"No John tonight?"

Ada shook her head. "Nope. He left early tonight so I stayed behind."

"Well then you might as well stay with me."

Ada gave him a look. "Yeah, are you going to take me to the police station with you in the morning as well?"

"I don't work at the precinct tomorrow," Wesker answered, smirking a little.

A slow smile creeped onto Ada's beautiful face. "Oh, I see where this is going."

"Do you, dear heart?" Wesker inquired, cocking his head slightly with a sly smile.

Ada started walking for the front doors of the mansion, her hips swaying a little in her walk. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes landing on Wesker. "Are you driving?"

Wesker smirked, following Ada out of the door.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed chapter and sorry for it being kinda short lol! I meant to make this one so much longer, but thought that it would be better if I half it lol. This story is getting closer and closer to its ending as well. I think there is only going to be five chapters left! Lol, I know I am horrible...I couldn't help but to make Wesker and William have a fist fight...poor William and his black eye...boys will be boys I guess! XD Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone! And thanks for being patient! :)**


	22. Chapter 21: Play God

**Chapter 21: Play God**

As winter turned to spring, and spring slowly was easing into summer, the Arklay Research Facility was having more complications than normal. Wesker was working hard between S.T.A.R.S, HCF, and his work with William. His relationship with Ada seemed to go more complicated as Wesker used her within HCF. Ada still didn't know that he was with HCF as well, but he figured that soon would be the time for her to know. Wesker was pleasing Mr. Smith within HCF, but Wesker knew it wouldn't be long before he would have to make his move. He was already making plans with William.

William and Wesker were planning on causing an outbreak at the Spencer estate. It would be a dangerous move, but the two of them knew how to handle it. They would take the time while everything was in chaos to take out Spencer. Umbrella would crumble after that, and Wesker and William would be moving over to HCF, but not without getting all they needed from Umbrella's leftovers. From there, they would have to work out how they were going to take over HCF. First however, Wesker was going to have to use HCF to his advantage. His first move would be to take out the Ashfords on Rockfort before Umbrella would completely fall. It would take awhile, but the company will burn to ashes. And though the Arklay Research Facility in Raccoon City was one of the top plants of Umbrella, the Headquarters of the pharmaceutical company was still in Europe. Spencer made lots of trips here and there as Founder, especially in the summer time. That was why William and Wesker were going to have to move fast.

Wesker was definitely going to have to be careful. Not only was John making himself dangerously nosy, but Sergei was starting to catch on to more things than one. Wesker knew he had an ally in Nicholai, but the Russian Colonel was known to be ruthless. It was even harder to work with William and Annette now that Sherry was out of school for the summer. Their time in the labs beneath the streets of Raccoon was chopped in half, and William was becoming agitated with his schedule falling behind. Wesker's work with S.T.A.R.S had also become more stressful now that hot weather was upon them. The city was busier with activities and tourists.

"Hey," came Ada's voice.

Wesker turned around, having been currently trying to gather things from his and William's lab in the Spencer estate. "Good evening, dear heart."

"I think you and I need to have a talk."

Wesker slightly cocked his head. "Oh?"

"So how long have you been manipulating Mr. Smith?"

"How long have you been with HCF?"

"I knew you were behind all of this with HCF," Ada heaved, shaking her head. "My suspicions always kept me on guard, but the other day Mr. Smith told me everything and told me to confront you. He wants us to be partners with whatever you have planned next."

"Will you be able to handle it?"

"I don't know," Ada answered, her eyes sharpening. "You tell me."

"William and I are going to kill Spencer."

"And what is that going to get you?"

"If everything goes according to plan then…everything."

Ada sighed again. "You have a real knack at controlling people."

"I will take that as a compliment," Albert answered, turning to seal the duralumin case that held some materials that William needed.

"Spencer is sending me to Europe for a mission. I probably won't be back for a couple of weeks. So what do you want me to do?"

Wesker thought for a moment. That should be plenty of time for him and William to cause the outbreak and put down Spencer. They would then be heading to New York to meet up with some of Mr. Smith's agents. "Just complete your mission there and return here to Raccoon. Call me as soon as you get into the city so William and I can pick you up. We will be leaving for New York then."

"And that is if everything goes according to plan?" Ada asked, folding her arms.

Wesker dipped his head. "Yes."

"And what if it doesn't?"

"Then I am sure we will have to come up with another plan. Be safe on your trip, dear heart."

Ada smiled, closing her eyes for a moment. "Thanks. Be safe on causing hell over here."

Wesker smirked. "Of course."

As the female agent turned to leave, Wesker thought of something else. While she was gone, it would be the perfect time to take out John. The man was getting too daring for his own good when it cam to him and Ada, along with Wesker's plans. Or maybe Wesker could leave him to become infected and turn into a shadow of his former self.

* * *

The next day, Ada left early in the morning to fly for Europe. William and Wesker were still planning. William was worried about Annette and Sherry. He was going to have to get them out of here as well. William told Wesker he would need to take them to Annette's mother's house in Connecticut after they left Raccoon City to go to New York.

"Something bad is going on over at the Training Facility. Emerson and John were telling me that there is some kind of outbreak. People are turning into zombies and being attacked by leeches!" William exclaimed while he and Albert worked underneath the city.

"Leeches? Like Marcus's leeches?" Wesker asked.

"That's the only leeches I know about, but I thought we got rid of all of them?" William grumbled.

Wesker went back to finishing his paperwork. "They breed fast. I'm sure we didn't catch all of them."

"You sound really worried about the outbreak," sighed William.

"Why should I be? We are planning to cause one at the Spencer estate. If this one moves to the mansion, then our plan just became simpler."

"I don't know. Something doesn't feel right. This plan…but I feel like Marcus is coming back to haunt us."

Wesker shook his head. "Will, you worry too much. Marcus is dead, therefore, there is no way he could haunt us or harm us. There are no such things as ghosts and curses."

"Fine, but if we can play God, then God can play us," William said seriously.

"You are starting to sound like Annette."

"Are you ready to do this?" William heaved, somehow knowing that this was not going to end well.

"Yes, the time is perfect. The Tyrant Project is finished, Ada is gone to Europe, Annette and Sherry are at home, and the estate is sleeping."

"I just hope that everything doesn't break down too slow. The T-Virus cannot spread by air, only by body fluids. It will take awhile before it spreads."

"Patience is a virtue, William. It won't take long once chaos ensues. That is why we are leaving as soon as we know the virus is out. Once they find the outbreak, no one will be able to get in or out of the mansion. We need to keep our work down here for a few weeks and let the virus spread over there."

"What about Spencer?" William asked. "Won't he leave right away?"

"Nicholai will be giving me details, but I know Spencer will stay in the city for another month. He will leave the mansion, probably put Sergei in charge over there while the outbreak grows. When it is his time to leave Raccoon, then we can go and kill him," Wesker explained.

"I hope you know what you are doing," William sighed. "We are putting our life's work and reputation on the line here!"

"Trust me, William. When Umbrella goes down, we will rise. HCF is the key to that."

"What if it spreads to the city?"

"It should be contained. If it spreads too far, Spencer has a remote device he can use to blow up the mansion and the Training Facility. If not, I guess I will have to keep Irons and S.T.A.R.S busy."

"If you say so," his partner sighed.

"Is the G-Virus ready?" Wesker inquired.

"It is pretty much done, but there are a few more tests I would like to do to make sure it is perfect."

"Make sure it is stable before we leave to New York."

"Yes, boss. I think I know that!" William snorted.

"Alright. Then let's go get this started."

* * *

Days turned to weeks, and slowly Wesker had to keep the S.T.A.R.S at bay. There were reports of people being attacked by groups of other people and diseased animals. The victims were being eaten. Wesker knew all too well it was the outbreak spreading too far from the mansion and Training Facility. The city was terrified, keeping pets and children indoors while the "cannibals" were known to live in Raccoon Forest with attack dogs. Wesker lost contact with Nicholai. The last he heard, the Russian was with Spencer at another home protecting the Founder while Sergei was still in charge over at the mansion. Wesker knew that William had made his way into the Training Facility to gain the data he wanted before he was going to blow it sky high.

Wesker knew his time was dwindling. He had already sent Bravo Team out to investigate what was going on in the Raccoon Forest, near the mansion. He knew that he and Alpha would be called in. Wesker would take his team in to use them as guinea pigs to test the combat data of all the escaped BOWs for Mr. Smith. He would need to find a way to slip away from them to meet up with William at the Training Facility. Spencer was still in the city, but if things got worse, he would flee. Nicholai was already sent off to U.B.C.S to command a unit. Wesker had no idea why. Spencer must have been planning ahead. Spencer wouldn't leave without a bodyguard. Wesker knew once Sergei left the mansion to join with the Founder that they would need to be moving fast. Ada got held up in Europe thanks to Spencer's orders, and would probably be another couple of weeks.

"Captain Wesker!"

Wesker turned to see Chris running up to him. "What is it?"

The precinct had been in chaos since all of this started happening. Irons was furious and tried to demand Wesker what was going on. Wesker had to keep his cool, especially around his team.

"We got an emergency call from Enrico! The chopper is down on the ground in the forest exactly where the attacks have been happening!"

"Tell Brad to get our helicopter ready. He was down in the lounge when I last saw him. I will inform the others to get ready to go in," Wesker answered.

"Yes, sir," Chris said, turning to head out.

Wesker didn't take long to find the rest of Alpha Team in the Meeting Room gathering up paperwork. He got their attention quickly. Jill, Barry, and Joseph looked over at him as he approached them.

"Barry, get the weapons ready. Joseph, go help Chris and Brad get the helicopter. Jill, you come with me. We are heading out to go after Bravo. Make sure you are all ready. It is going to be a long night."

Wesker turned and headed out, Jill immediately following after him, but not without glancing back to Barry and Joseph with worry etched on her face. It was going to be a long night indeed. Wesker was going to have to make his moves carefully. The game had started, and he was already ahead. But until he took out Spencer, the game would be difficult to beat.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know! Short chapter, but that is how I wanted it to be lol. There are only a couple chapters left in this story! I have had a blast writing it, evening though this is apparently not as popular as some of my other workds. Lol! So Resident Evil 1 is just about to happen, yay! :)**


End file.
